Coyote Calling
by AnthonyS
Summary: Jaeko and his squad of roughnecks will take on any job, but when he's hired to track down the legendary Lone Wanderer and put a bullet in his brain, he declines. That is until the myserious Mister Burke doesn't give him a choice. Now, Jaeko must use every contact, every favor, and every ounce of ammunition he has to not only kill the Lone Wanderer, but somehow make it out alive.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"_This is Three Dog and we are coming to you live from the Capital Wasteland!" _The disc jockey gave an energetic howl, personifying the very animal he was named after. He continued. _"Alright, listen up, children. Papa Three Dog has some more wasteland survival tips for you. _

"_If you find yourselves out and about in the big wide world, do yourself a favor and look out for Radscorpions. They like to hang out in cool shady locations. So if you find an old abandoned mineshaft and are thinking of holding up for the night, think again. There's probably a reason it's abandoned. _

"_Second, raiders always, always travel in groups. So if you see one wandering around looking lost, don't try to pick him off and steal his gear, because his friends are probably roaming somewhere nearby. _

"_Third, the town of Old Olney has been deemed a quarantine zone by the Brotherhood of Steel. Now, for those of you who don't know what quarantine means, I'll put it simply: do not travel there. Deathclaws have a nest set up there and all who travel there are said to never return." _

Three Dog laughed sardonically before clearing his throat and tapping the microphone. "_Seriously, though, stay away. It's dangerous and we're having a hard enough time keeping the wasteland populated. Now, I've been asked by my fine Brotherhood counterparts to make yet another public announcement regarding their recent job posting. So listen up all you freelancers out there. The Brotherhood of Steel is offering one-hundred-thousand caps to any person or team who can successfully bring in a live super mutant behemoth. Yes, you heard right – a behemoth . . . alive. Now I don't know what the Brotherhood is trying to accomplish getting a live behemoth, but a hundred-thousand caps is a hundred-thousand caps. So any of you meatheads out there wanting to make it big, here's your chance. Take it or leave it. Now, it's time for some music."_

A gentle melody came over the speakers and Jaeko set the radio back on the hood of the car, making sure to keep the volume low. He peeked out, saw the street was still empty, and sighed. Five hours they'd been waiting and, so far, nothing. Not a damn thing.

Digging into his jacket pocket, he produced a green tablet and popped it into his mouth, forcing it down his throat with a backward bob of his head. Beside him, his companion coughed in disapproval.

"What?" Jaeko asked.

"You know what. Boss is gonna be pissed if he finds out you're back on that stuff."

"Stamp, relax," Jaeko said. "A little Buffout never killed anyone."

"Whatever. Your funeral." Stamp glanced down the street, sighing as well. "They announced it again."

"Yep."

"Think anyone else is having any luck?"

"Obviously not otherwise they wouldn't still be announcing it," Jaeko said giving his companion a sideways glance.

"I guess you're right. Maybe we'll get lucky and –"

Jaeko suddenly hushed him, listening hard. The patter of feet against concrete, closing fast. He grabbed his assault rifle, leaned against the car beside him, and brought it up over the hood of the vehicle. He halted, however, when he saw it was one of their own. Dusty – or whatever his name was – stared down the length of the rifle, panting heavily.

"They're coming," he managed to get out between ragged breaths.

"'Bout damn time. Get back in position," Jaeko ordered.

Dusty nodded and sprinted back toward the mouth of the street. He sidestepped into a nearby building on the right. Jaeko turned and signaled to the two buildings on either side of him. Half a dozen heads peeked out. Moments before, they'd been completely hidden from sight.

"Ready anchors," Jaeko called just loud enough for them to hear. Several heads nodded in response. He turned and flicked off the radio, stuffing it back into his pack beneath the car. His heart was suddenly hammering within his chest, his breath shallow. He yanked his pistol from its holster on his thigh and checked its magazine. Fully loaded. Stuffing two extra clips into his ammo belt and giving his bandolier a reassuring tug, he shouldered his rifle, kneeling back behind the car. Across the street he saw four other men, dressed in similar gear, waiting in the ruins of a blasted out building. One carried a rocket launcher, supported against his shoulder. Jaeko gave them a reassuring nod. They had a good plan, he told himself. This would work.

"I was starting to wonder if the scouts had gotten the street wrong," Stamp said beside him.

"Maybe it had to stop and take a dump," Jaeko replied. He glanced back at his companion. "Get in."

"Get out."

"Make it count," they both said in unison. They nodded to one another, a silent understanding passing between them.

Beneath their feet, a low rumbling began. Jaeko peeked back over the hood of the car, one of many lining the curb, but he still couldn't see anything. It was coming, though. He could feel it. Sweat beaded across his brow. Not from nerves, but from the Buffout. It was quickly working its way into his bloodstream. Soon he'd start shaking, especially if he didn't see some action soon.

One of the men across the street peeked out as well, but Jaeko waved him back inside. The plan was precise. One screw up and the whole thing would come crashing down. Jaeko ducked back behind the car, trying desperately to quiet his thundering heart. Stamp patted his shoulder. He was several inches taller than Jaeko and a good bit larger across the chest and arms. His hair was also cut down close to the skin, while Jaeko's was longer and held out of his eyes by a red headband tied in the back. He'd seen the style in an old copy of Pugilism Illustrated and had done his best to mimic it.

"There they are," Stamp breathed beside him, looking out through the shattered windows of the car. Jaeko looked back over. There were four of them. Three regulars and the behemoth. It had a giant chain wrapped around its neck and carried a huge light post, the end sharpened like a spear. The three super mutants walking on either side and in front of it carried assault rifles and hunting rifles. They would be easy to pick off. The behemoth would be the only problem. Unfortunately, it was also their primary objective.

Jaeko waved toward the windows, giving the signal to get ready. A few rifles peeked out from atop the nearby roofs.

The super mutants walked at a leisurely pace, the behemoth's heavy footsteps thundering down the street. Jaeko's finger twitched against the trigger guard. They were almost in the kill box. Just a dozen or so more yards. His heart continued to hammer within his chest. Beside him, Stamp breathed heavily, his own assault rifle cradled against his chest.

"One," Jaeko breathed. He glanced toward the nearby second-story windows. The men waited for his command.

"Two . . ." The slightest quiver worked its way up his spine.

"Three! FIRE!"

From all around gunshots erupted, a deadly chorus of lead that filled the air. Smoke billowed from various windows and rooftops as gunshots struck true. The two super mutants on either side of the behemoth fell against the wave of gunfire. One of the super mutants' head exploded as a fifty-caliber bullet ripped through its skull, showering the behemoth in green and red blood. The other fell right after it. The third, however, managed to clear the line of cars and rolled onto the curb. Jaeko and Stamp yanked grenades from their belts and popped their pins simultaneously, rolling the deadly black spheres down the sidewalk. They exploded just before the mutant's feet and blew a chunk out of its left leg and lower abdomen. It fell with a deafening howl before quickly succumbing to its wounds. Everyone else opened up on the behemoth. It yelled and swung its giant spear at the nearest grouping of men, positioned at the second floor window of a nearby office building. The spear destroyed the left support pillar and showered the men with debris, but none of them were injured, and the weapon became lodged in the building.

"ANCHORS!" Jaeko yelled as loud as he could. This was his plan. He'd presented it right after the initial broadcast and, heaven help him, it would work. God, he hoped it worked.

All at once, steam gauge assemblies pointed out of the surrounding second floor windows. There were five in all, modified to look similarly to the Lone Wanderer's infamous railway rifle. At the end of the stock, however, there was a hand crank, and the guns had been mounted on metal stands. Heavy railway bolts had been shot into the ground, securing the weapons in place like turrets.

"FIRE!" Jaeko called out fiercely. As the rest of his squad continued their bombardment of the behemoth, the five modified "anchors" shot out. Huge spikes, a meter long each, shot out of the assemblies. Thick black ropes, made from galvanized steel wire, tethered them to the assemblies. All but one pierced the behemoth's flesh as it struggled to pull its spear free. It roared in pain, grabbing at one of the spikes. As it did so, however, the end of the spike shot out in all directions like an umbrella, securing it in place. The behemoth howled again, blood leaking from the multiple points of insertion. Both arms, a leg, and the area just to the side of its abdomen, had been pierced by the anchors.

"REEL!"

Immediately, the lines began to tighten. The behemoth roared, struggling against the tension. Three men were forced to crank each anchor, their muscles straining with the effort. The rest of the squad laid down suppressive fire at its feet.

Giving up on ripping the spike from its arm, the behemoth grabbed back onto its spear and finally managed to yank it free. It swung at a nearby car and sent the vehicle rolling into the adjacent building. Three of Jaeko's squad were flattened against it as it rolled atop them. Jaeko gritted his teeth. The reels weren't going fast enough. Two more men were killed as a second vehicle crashed through the upper half of a building, caving the roof in on top of them.

"Rockets! Take out its other leg!" Jaeko called to the nearby group of men across the street. The one carrying the launcher nodded and peeked out tentatively. The behemoth roared and he ducked back behind cover. The lines were almost tight enough. They just needed a little more time.

"ROCKETS!" Jaeko yelled again. Beside him, Stamp continued to lay down fire on the behemoth's legs. At least a hundred shots had ripped into its kneecap and lower leg. Yet the beast didn't even stagger. Across the street, the men continued to cower.

"Come on!" Jaeko yelled. "Do it!"

Gathering his courage, the man nodded. He sprinted out and ducked beside a nearby mailbox, aiming the missile launcher as level with the behemoth's knee as possible.

"Take this, you mother!" the man yelled. When he pulled the trigger, however, the weapon clicked. "Shit! It's a dud! Give me another."

His teammates threw open the nearby duffel bag, yanking out a fresh missile from within. The behemoth had taken notice of its attacker, however, and as the man quickly ejected the dead missile, the behemoth swung its massive spear.

"LOOK OUT!" Jaeko and several others yelled, but it was too late. The spear flew from the behemoth's hand, spinning wildly and hitting the man square across the chest. He flew backwards, the missile launcher clattering to the ground. Jaeko swore. The behemoth roared again, the very air seeming to rumble. It went back to work on the spike in its arm, the rain of lead having little effect on it as it struggled with the tethers.

Jaeko made up his mind almost instantly, strapping the rifle across his back and taking several deep breaths.

"What are you doing?" Stamp asked behind him. He jammed his last magazine into his rifle.

"Cover me."

"Are you nuts? You saw what it did to Rex."

"Just cover me," Jaeko said throwing a glance over his shoulder. Stamp recognized that look. He'd seen it so many times before. It was when Jaeko had made his mind up about something and there was no convincing him otherwise. Nodding simply, Stamp aimed back over the roof of the car. When he opened up, Jaeko ran. He ran for everything he was worth, sprinting across the street with the roars of the behemoth trailing his every step. He slid the last few meters, picking up the launcher and catching the missile. He jammed it in, his hands as steady as they'd ever been, and snapped the breach closed. The tethers were nearly tight. It was now or never.

Hefting the launcher over his shoulder, Jaeko aimed down the sights, his finger tight against the trigger. The behemoth locked eyes with him, roaring. Jaeko didn't waste another second. He yanked the trigger as hard as he could, the missile blasting out the front end and rocketing toward the behemoth. The behemoth tried to dodge, even managing to rip one of the steam gauge assemblies from its mounted pedestal, but the fifth anchor that had previously missed suddenly pierced its shoulder, holding it in place. The missile impacted just below the behemoth's left knee and a huge deafening explosion echoed down the street, a cloud of smoke and dust settling across the entire avenue. Jaeko dropped the missile launcher to the ground. Stamp walked out from behind the car and the pair stared down the street, still clouded behind a thick wall of smoke. A deafening roar thundered down the street toward them, but neither moved, for they saw through the thick veil of dust a huge green shadow lying flat against the ground, four tethers securing it in place. A thick pool of blood seeped around its body and, although the behemoth continued to struggle, its strength was almost completely gone and it was forced to continue lying on the ground.

Cheering echoed out the nearby windows and from the surrounding rooftops. Whoops and hollers rained down upon the two man still standing in the middle of the street. Throwing each other a sideways glance, Jaeko and Stamp treaded steadily down the street, their boots clicking across the gravel and concrete-covered ground. The behemoth roared again, but it was weaker this time. It knew, somewhere deep inside its limited and feral intellect, that it was beaten.

Jaeko smiled slightly, his heart finally beginning to calm inside his chest and the sweat drying across his brow. Several of his squad mates joined him at the head of the super mutant behemoth, breathing heavily. A few had suffered minor injuries, but those who had survived were mostly intact. One of them toed the behemoth's severed leg, as it afraid it might come back to life and kick him while he wasn't looking. The behemoth itself breathed heavily.

"Someone get some quick clot, as much of it as you can find, and some stimpaks. I don't want that stump killing it before we can collect our bounty." One of his teammates nodded and sprinted toward their makeshift command post, a bank about two blocks away.

"And someone call the Brotherhood," Jaeko yelled out so everyone, including the mutant, could hear. "We just caught ourselves a behemoth!"

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_Quick couple comments. First - so there's no confusion, Jaeko's name is pronounced "Jay-Co". Second - yes, I will explain more about his character as the story progresses, as well as why the Brotherhood wanted a super mutant behemoth caught alive. Third, if you took the time to read everything up until this point, please take ten more seconds to write a review. It means so much to us writers. Even just an "atta' boy" is much appreciated. Thanks all and have a terrific wasteland day. _


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Sir, they've done it!"

Scribe Rothchild turned from the broken remains of Liberty Prime, his brow furrowed and his lips turned downward in a permanent scowl. The blueprints for the large mechanical soldier, old and new, were spread out upon the table before him.

"Who has done what, Initiate?" Rothchild asked his tone coated in annoyance. The young recruit, dressed in grey and black recon army, was practically bouncing on his toes, oblivious to the possible progress he was halting with his sudden interruption.

He said, "The Screaming Coyotes, they took down a behemoth . . . alive!"

Rothchild was immediately on his feet. "What? You're sure? Where did you hear that?"

The Initiate continued to bounce up and down. "Elder Lyons, he sent me to come get you. Their leader is here. He's waiting in the Great Hall to meet you. Says he has the behemoth nearby and is willing to take you there."

"Send word immediately. I'm on my way." Rothchild began stacking the blueprints back together fervently. The Initiate saluted smartly and turned on his heel, jogging back out. Rothchild could hardly believe it. He still didn't, in fact. How had anyone managed to complete such a monumental task? Sure, it was exactly what they needed to continue synthesizing a cure for the FEV virus, helping to transform super mutants into their former human selves, but he never expected anyone to actually do it. It had been a . . . a pipe dream, a useless fantasy he had come up with until Doctor Li got back and they could start making real progress again. But with a live behemoth, a specimen at the top of the super mutant evolutionary food chain, they had a real shot.

Satisfied everything was back in order, and not caring if it wasn't, Rothchild climbed the stairs out of the laboratory and headed for the Great Hall. The capturing of a live behemoth was already the talk of the Citadel as Knights and Scribes alike spoke excitedly about what it could mean in the continued fight against the super mutant. Even more, they wondered how such a feat had been accomplished. Even the Lone Wanderer had never attempted such an exploit, not that he'd ever had any real reason to.

By the time Rothchild reached the Great Hall his legs were burning. He'd walked swiftly, practically jogging, as his own wonderment took hold. He couldn't help but wonder how as well. How had they done it? It must've taken an army. He put his musings to rest, however, as he came upon the Great Hall's entrance. The two Knights outside stood at attention as he walked past, pushing through the door. A man, a decade or so his younger, turned in his seat near the head of the table. He was speaking with Elder Owyn Lyons, Rothchild's oldest friend, and the only person he still took orders from.

"Ah, Reginald, come in," Elder Lyons said interrupting the leader of the Screaming Coyotes. In the corner a man stood with his arms crossed. He had short brown hair, cut nearly down to his scalp, and a hard chiseled jaw. He wore a simple leather jacket with a rough insignia scratched into the sleeve. It was what appeared to be a canine howling at a circular outline. One of the Screaming Coyotes, muscle for the journey . . . or for them, Rothchild supposed, though he was hardly intimidated. "I was just telling Mister Cross here how surprised we are at his ability to take down a live behemoth."

"Yes, surprised indeed," Rothchild said regarding the man with a suspicious stare. The man either didn't notice or didn't care. He stood and shook Rothchild's hand.

"Angelo Cross, leader of the Screaming Coyotes, formerly of Talon Company," the man said. He was several inches over six feet tall and wore rough leather armor. Across his chest was a large white star and on the left shoulder guard was the same rough canine insignia. His hair was jet black, though was certainly showing the tell-tale signs of age, salt and pepper rimming the edges.

"Talon Company?" Rothchild asked apprehensively.

"Yeah, left when Jabsco took over. You wouldn't believe it, but Talon Company used to follow a code of honor. Not anymore, though. Picked up a few other dropouts in my travels, then a few guys you wouldn't take, and pretty soon had a pretty good band of mercs put together. It was one of my sergeants who came up with the idea on how to take down a live behemoth."

"You?" Rothchild asked looking toward the man in the corner. The man looked stunned for a moment before his wall of discipline came back up.

"No, it was one of my other men, Jaeko. He decided to stay behind with the behemoth while we sorted this out. Now, about payment," Cross said not wasting any more time.

"Ah, yes, payment. Full compensation will be delivered upon successful transfer of the specimen. I'd like to have a look before we arrange transportation, if you don't mind –"

"Now hold on just a second," Cross interrupted. "No one said anything about moving the damn thing. That's not our job. We had a heck of a time just taking the thing down. And it's only got one leg now so transporting it's up to you guys."

"The broadcast was quite specific," Rothchild said. "Bring _in _a live behemoth. I'm sure we can come to some arrangement –"

"Not going to happen," Cross interrupted again, thinning Rothchild's patience. He was not used to being cut off. "I'll be happy to go back down to where we got the damn thing and put a bullet in its head if you don't want to collect the thing, but either way we're getting paid."

"Not until you complete the terms of the contract –"

"Reginald," Elder Lyons spoke up. Immediately, Rothchild's temper simmered down. Cross calmed as well, glancing at the Brotherhood Elder. "We will arrange for two Vertibirds to air lift it out. If it only has one leg, it can't move on its own anyway, so ground transportation is out. Knight!"

Immediately, one of the guards standing outside poked his head inside. "Sir?"

"Speak to Knight Captain Durga and the rest of the quartermaster staff. Have them manufacture some sort of platform we can attach lifting straps to. It must be able to support the behemoth's weight. On the double now. We must have this done as soon as possible." Elder Lyons turned back to his two companions. "Mister Cross, do you have any idea how much it weighs?"

"At least a couple tons," Cross replied in more of a sigh than an actual response.

"Very well. Make sure it is sturdy enough, Knight Zachary."

"Yes, sir!" Zachary saluted and stepped back out. Lyons smiled faintly.

"Now, shall we go and see this great beast your company has tamed, Mister Cross? I assure you, your payment will be ready when we get back." Normally, Cross wouldn't have accepted anything less than half before delivery, but something in Elder Lyons' eyes made him trust him. He nodded, signaling to his man in the corner.

"Stamp, let's go show our employers here the merchandise. I'd suggest bringing an escort, Elder. The muties come out in bulk at night."

"I assure you, we are quite prepared for any mutant attacks." Just then, a large power-armored man stepped in wielding a massive chain gun. He had difficulty getting it through the doorway, but he stood at attention nevertheless.

"Sir, the Pride is ready to roll." Lyons smiled, though his eyes showed a sudden sadness Cross just barely managed to pick up on.

"Shall we go?" Lyons asked shrugging the look away.

"What about the Lone Wanderer? Shouldn't he come, too?"

"The Lone Wanderer is currently on assignment . . . elsewhere." Cross caught the bitterness in his tone almost immediately and decided not to inquire any further. Hefting his own weapon, Cross and his companion Stamp headed out, Lyons, Rothchild, and a half-dozen heavily armed Brotherhood soldiers right on their heels.

* * *

The beast was great indeed. Illuminated by the dozen or so torches encircling it, Rothchild got his first real look at a super mutant behemoth. He had only ever seen one, and it had been from very far away. A Fat Man mini-nuke launcher and several RPGs had torn the creature to shreds, but this one was indeed alive. It breathed heavily and roared every few minutes, but it no longer struggled against its bonds. Every time it did, one of its many guards would stick it with a cattle prod or simply shoot it in the arm. Rothchild ordered them to cease at once. Any more injuries could render the specimen obsolete. It was bad enough it was already missing a leg.

"Sorry 'bout them, but it's the only way we've been able to keep the damn thing sedated," a man said walking across the behemoth's upper torso. He was thin and sported light brown hair down to his collar, though the front was pushed up and away from his eyes. Several rogue strands still managed to fall across his brow, however. He wore a navy blue jacket that just barely stretched down to his waist and a brown leather ammo belt was slung across his chest. In his hand he carried a black assault rifle. He hopped down from the creature's chest, producing a deep groan from its throat.

"You call this sedated?" Paladin Glade asked snorting.

"You should have seen it when it first went down. I didn't think the lines would hold. I'm Sergeant Jaeko Reid."

"What are they made out of?" Elder Lyons asked nodding to him curtly.

"High tension steel wire. We stripped it from one of the metro lines up north, one of the ones up on the bridges," Jaeko said holding his hand high in the air, as if they wouldn't understand what he meant otherwise. Elder Lyons continued to stare, fascinated. "Took us two weeks just to cut it all. Went through three hacksaws and several cutting torches."

"That's all very fascinating," Rothchild said. "Still, your men must stop from injuring it any further. It's already lost an excessive amount of blood."

"Who gives a shit about blood?" Jaeko asked more than a little scornfully. It had taken a lot of hard work, a lot of planning, to take this down. Not to mention several of his men. Stamp gave him a look, but he ignored it. "It's alive, isn't it? Breathing."

"You wouldn't understand. It is absolutely imperative the specimen is not damaged anymore, however."

"Fine," Cross said halting Jaeko from arguing any further. He knew the man's temper. Whistling to his men, "Hey, boys, no more damaging the Brotherhood's specimen. It's their toy now. Let them play with it for a while."

Rothchild wasn't sure he liked Cross' tone or the multiple snorts of laughter from the men, but they complied and that was all he really cared about. Elder Lyons continued to pace around the behemoth, fascinated by its captivity. Its massive muscles bulged as it pushed against the wires, but it was truly stuck, captured.

"Reginald," he said as his old friend approached. His gaunt visage was just barely visible in the crackling firelight. "Can you believe this?"

"I can barely believe my eyes, dear friend. This will put us leagues ahead in developing a cure. I must say, I never expected someone to actually succeed, but now that they have . . . we could actually come up with a cure, Owyn. We could actually cure the super mutant disease."

"I figured that's what this was about," a voice said from the darkness. Sergeant Jaeko stepped into the thin trail of illuminating firelight. "Why else would the Brotherhood want a damn behemoth alive. You're trying to actually cure the super mutants. You're crazy. I hope you realize that. There is no cure. Nothing besides several tons of ammo and a lot of good men is going to stop the muties."

"That's where you're wrong," Rothchild said. He couldn't believe he had to defend himself against some wasteland mercenary. What did this cretin know? "If we can mass produce a cure, turn it into a vapor form, we could spread it over the entire Capital Wasteland. Even just putting a solution into Project Purity could help slow the mutant numbers to a more manageable size. With the behemoth in our possession, we can develop a strain to combat even the strongest of mutant DNA strands."

"Whatever," Jaeko said. He turned his back on the pair and headed back toward the grouping of men. He called over his shoulder, "What do I know? I'm just a mercenary, right? As long as I get paid."

"Speaking of which," Cross said. He called over to the pair. "I think it's time we settled up the bill."

"Of course," Elder Lyons said. He glanced back down at the behemoth one last time. Turning to Rothchild, "Reginald, you stay here with the Pride. I'll see about convincing Cross to leave a few of his men to assist you in defense until it can be transported. No doubt, the super mutants will learn of this soon and come hunting. I'll go back and settle our debts."

Rothchild nodded. For the second time, he caught sight of a sadness present in Lyons' eyes. "Are you alright, my friend?"

Elder Lyons squared his shoulders, though the lines around his eyes betrayed his true feelings. "Yes, fine. I only wish Sarah could be here to see us accomplish such a monumental task. Creating a vaccine, a cure!"

Rothchild nodded. "She'll return . . . one day."

* * *

Jaeko rolled his eyes as the Brotherhood Elder, Lyons, his own boss, Cross, and several of the Screaming Coyote soldiers departed. How could the Brotherhood be so naïve? There was no curing the mutant virus. There was no miracle solution that would make everything better. They were having delusions of grandeur, or better yet, living in "La La Land", land of unicorns and rainbows. That's at least what the book his father had read to him as a child described.

The behemoth growled, snapping Jaeko back into reality. He looked over and saw the Scribe, Rothchild, taking a sample from the behemoth's severed leg. He put a cap on the syringe and tucked it into his robes. Jaeko had met his kind so many times before: snobs, brought up on the principle they were better than everyone. Thankfully, Stamp walked up beside him, resting a hand gently on his shoulder. Jaeko looked up at him, just barely past the man's shoulder, and sighed.

"They actually think they'll be able to get some cure out of this thing," Jaeko said indicating the behemoth.

"You said that same thing when they first tried getting Project Purity up and running again and now look, purified water everywhere."

"I did not say that," Jaeko said defensively.

"Yes you did."

"Whatever." Jaeko dug into his pocket and produced another green pill. He moved to pop it in his mouth, but Stamp halted him, catching his wrist.

"What the hell are you doing? I told you the boss is going to be pissed if he catches you doing that. You know how he feels about that crap."

"Fine," Jaeko huffed rolling his eyes again. He stuffed it back into his pocket. "Cross say how long we're stuck on babysitting duty?"

"At least a couple hours until he gets back. He'll probably wait to disperse the cash until we're back at HQ."

"Not if I can help it. Not when we're this close to Rivet City. I think we all deserve a little vacation after this. Besides, it's been a while since I visited Cherry."

"That red-headed chick?"

"Yeah."

"How'd you even get shacked up with her in the first place?"

"The Lone Wanderer rescued her from some guy named Dukov, brought her to Rivet City. I see her whenever I'm in Rivet City."

"Whatever," Stamp said shrugging his shoulders. "It's your cock that'll end up falling off."

"Hey, not all of us are happily married to a beautiful man . . . I mean woman," Jaeko jibed. Stamp smacked him hard in the arm.

"Don't talk about Marie like that," he said, though the corners of his mouth were curved upward. Jaeko was about to comment further when a loud chorus of roars echoed down the street. It was followed by the unmistakable sound of a super mutant voice, or rather, lots of them.

"Ha! Found you!"

"I will eat you!"

"Tiny humans will die!"

Scribe Rothchild was suddenly at their side, peering into the darkness. There sounded to be dozens of them. The Brotherhood detachment joined them, as did the few Coyotes who had stayed behind.

"What do we do?" Rothchild asked.

"Douse the flames," one of the soldiers said. Unlike the rest of his squad, his helmet had yet to leave his head, and he carried a long-barreled sniper rifle.

"And fight like hell," Jaeko added.

"WILL EAT YOU!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Water was dumped on the flames and several torches were kicked over as everyone hurried to get into position. In the darkness, Jaeko could just barely make out the moss green silhouettes of the approaching super mutants, and there were many of them. At least two dozen, by his count. Positioned next to one of the immobile cars, he laid out several spare magazines on the ground next to him, as well as his last two grenades. Two of the Brotherhood soldiers, Glade and Kodiak, were crouched next to him. Glade hefted his chain gun, the attached case of ammunition strapped to his back. Kodiak carried a modified assault rifle, a drum magazine attached, and had a combat shotgun laid across the hood. Both men stared grimly down the street.

On the opposite curb, Stamp, a Brotherhood Paladin named Vargas, and the remaining members of the Screaming Coyotes crouched behind a decaying truck. The rest of the "Lyons' Pride", as they called themselves, were positioned on a nearby rooftop. Knight Captains Dusk and Colvin were apparently excellent snipers. The other one, Gallows, had disappeared into the darkness several minutes before. Jaeko doubted it was to retreat, however. There was just something about him. It made his skin crawl.

"I count twenty-six," Kodiak said beside him. The super mutants banged their sledgehammers and rifle butts against cars and mailboxes, growling and hollering. The behemoth seemed to sense its approaching kin and struggled against the bonds. The cranks were unmanned. Jaeko hoped the locks would hold.

"Watch for flankers," Glade said. "They always like to send a few into the buildings."

A deep-throated scream of pain came from the building directly beside them, followed by a dull explosion. Glade and Kodiak exchanged knowing glances. Jaeko's eyes snapped over in their direction.

"What the hell was that?" he asked.

"Gallows," the men responded in unison. Jaeko looked back toward the building, then across the street at Stamp. He gave him a knowing shrug. Settling his eyes back on the approaching mass, his spine began to tingle. His eyes shook and he felt invisible feet scamper down his back. Reaching a hand into his jacket pocket, he yanked out a Buffout and popped it into his mouth. The moment it was down his throat he immediately felt better. His eyes focused and he could see every last one of the approaching mutants.

"Wait 'til they're in range," Vargas said from across the street. Jaeko nodded, though more to himself than in actual response. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, his teeth grinding together.

"Come on, come on," he repeated over and over.

As if answering his quiet invitation, the super mutants let out several inhuman howls and sprinted toward the defensive line. Huge rocks the size of tires came flying through the air and before a shot was even fired Jaeko and several others were forced to dive out of the way. Then the unmistakable staccato of assault and hunting rifles filled the air. Lead pinged off the cars as the super mutants ran towards them. Several were dropped by the snipers on the nearby rooftop, the mutants' heads exploding in a red and green shower of gore, but there were so many.

"Watch for smoke," Jaeko said indicating the cars they were crouched behind. The two Paladins nodded. This wasn't their first firefight.

Finally, a pause came in the gunfire as the mutants reloaded their weapons. As one, the defending force of Brotherhood and Coyotes came out from cover and let loose on the mutants. Several were torn to shreds, barely three meters away as they raised their massive sledgehammers and clubs over their heads. Jaeko let half of his magazine go into one super mutant before finally releasing the trigger. The super mutant toppled to the ground, a crater in its chest from the sheer magnitude of bullets pumped into it. Glade stepped out of cover and laid down a wall of lead, Kodiak crouched beside him and letting off several bursts of fire from his own gun. The super mutants dove for cover, several taking refuge in the nearby buildings. One or two Coyotes chased after them, but Stamp pulled them back into cover.

A huge explosion suddenly racked a nearby building, a plume of smoke shooting out the entrance, and sending several mutant corpses flying back out onto the curb. Gallows, Jaeko understood now. He must've set up land mines all over the surrounding buildings, though where he had acquired them Jaeko wasn't sure. He let himself feel a slight ounce of hope.

Suddenly, however, a huge super mutant overlord came barreling out of the nearby building. It slammed against one of the cars, turned, and lumbered straight for Jaeko. Kodiak turned with his shotgun, but before he could fire it hammered him aside. He fell hard to the ground. Jaeko turned, leaving a gap in their defensive line of fire, to open up on the beast. Half a clip went into is midsection, but not before it raised its super sledgehammer over its head. As it flew downward on a collision course with Jaeko's skull he couldn't help but close his eyes. This was it. But then there was a sudden clang of metal against metal, the sledgehammer not slamming down upon him. He opened an eye and, instead, saw Gallows standing there, the servos on his power armor whining in protest as he held the sledgehammer back with his bare hands. He slid back several paces as the overlord used all its strength to continue the weapon's trajectory. Gallows stood firm, however, his head snapping over in Jaeko's direction.

"Kill it," he said his voice contorted from the strain and the filters of his helmet.

Jaeko snapped out of his momentary daze and slammed in a fresh clip, lighting the mutant up with his assault rifle. Glade turned and pulverized its backside with his chain gun. As the last of Gallows strength failed him, driving him to his knees, the overlord howled in pain and crumbled to the ground.

Gallows turned toward Glade and the recovering Kodiak, who struggled back to his feet. He said simply, "Eleven."

Glade's mouth dropped open. "That overlord counts as mine!"

Jaeko could hardly believe his ears. They were arguing each other's kill counts. Jaeko didn't waste any more time, though, despite the ridiculousness of the situation. He turned and fired several bursts into the last of the horde. A final grenade was thrown and as the smoke cleared Kodiak let out a whoop of victory.

Jaeko turned back to the super mutant behemoth, still struggling with its tethers even as the last of its brethren was put out of their misery. He kicked it square in the side of the head, his toe nearly breaking with the effort. The behemoth howled in anger, however, and that made Jaeko nigh care about the pain.

Two of the Coyotes had been overrun in the skirmish. One had been shot twice in the chest. The other's face looked like a chunk of uncooked Brahmin meat. Paladin Vargas had also taken a pretty good hit to the shoulder from a sledgehammer. His pauldron was dented down to the servos gears.

_A hundred-thousand caps, _Jaeko thought to himself morbidly over and over. _A hundred-thousand caps. _

* * *

The transport arrived early the next morning as the sun rose over the horizon. With it came a fresh detachment of Brotherhood soldiers and a few Coyotes escorting Cross. He came up and shook Jaeko's hand, simultaneously patting him on the back, something he never did.

"I take it we got paid," Jaeko said his eyes still on the behemoth as they pumped sedative after sedative into its bloodstream. One at a time the anchors were being removed and mounted to the corners of the platform, where they were then tightened back down. His skin crawled with the effort.

"Every last cap. Heard you had it rough last night. Avery and Voss?"

"Yeah. I had to check his pockets to know it was Voss for sure. One of the muties tore him up pretty good."

"Damn. Both were good fighters."

"They all were good fighters. The Brotherhood doesn't realize that's what it's going to take, though, to wipe these mutie fuckers off the planet," Jaeko said practically spitting in the behemoth's direction.

"Hey, at least we got paid."

"Yeah I wanted to talk to you about that. I was hoping to get a leave of absence. Kinda need a vacation after this," Jaeko said. His limbs were practically dead with exhaustion and his eyes constantly drooped toward the ground. A few other super mutant groups had attacked throughout the night. No one else had been killed, but it had halted any of them from getting any sleep. Cross examined him for a long moment, measuring, before sighing heavily and patting him on the shoulder. The action almost took Jaeko off his feet.

"Granted. Don't take too long, though. It'll be about eight grand split between who's left and, trust me, that'll run out on you fast."

"Copy that," Jaeko said. He ran a hand through his hair, watching as the last anchor was shot into the platform with a powerful, pre-war rivet gun. The behemoth was barely conscious. The Scribes and scientists had been up all night as well, concocting a sedative strong enough for it. As the twin turbine engines of each Vertibird spun to life, dousing the area in dust, the mysterious Brotherhood soldier Gallows walked over. He still had yet to remove his helmet and his long-barreled sniper rifle was back in his hands. Jaeko had slung his assault rifle across his back, too tired to care if another attack came.

Nodding, he said, "Thanks for the assist last night."

Gallows regarded him for a long moment, the Vertibirds rising into the air behind him. Jaeko covered his eyes with the back of his hand as a curtain of dirt and dust blew across them. Gallows leaned in, causing every hair on Jaeko's body to suddenly stand on end.

He said simply, "I know you."

A moment later, he turned and joined the rest of the Lyons' Pride, on their way back to the Citadel. Glade and the sniper Colvin waved goodbye. Jaeko gave them a nod in return, his hairs still settling from what Gallows had said. What did he mean he knew him?

Before Jaeko could contemplate it any further, however, one of the Coyotes jumped on his back, howling at the sky. Stamp walked up as well, smiling. Jaeko finally managed to get the mercenary off, punching him lightly in the chest.

"Ah, come on, Sarge," the Coyote said." A hundred-thousand caps. We're millionaires!"

"You have to have a million to be a millionaire, Hutch," Stamp said. Jaeko just rolled his eyes. He walked toward the nearby bank of the Potomac, Hutch finding someone else to celebrate with. Stamp joined him on the embankment. The sun, still rising across the horizon, lit the water on fire with a brilliant orange and yellow mass.

"Marie will be happy," Stamp said. "Cross is giving us all two weeks off. Says it was your idea."

"Something like that," Jaeko said. A moment later, he broke out in a quiet chuckle. Stamp looked at him quizzically.

"What's so funny?" he asked. Jaeko laughed for another moment, almost doubling over.

"We just helped open the Capital Wasteland's first ever petting zoo." Stamp looked at him for a moment longer, his brow furrowed, before his hardened features suddenly cracked and he let out a long chortle as well. He patted Jaeko on the back.

"That we did, my friend," he said. "That we did."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jaeko zipped his pants up and yanked his shirt over his head. He found his boots near the corner of the room and sat gingerly down upon the bed, the worn springs giving the faintest whine in protest. He gritted his teeth and tugged the first boot on, buckling down the multiple straps. He was pulling the second one on when the blanketed shape behind him suddenly stirred. Cherry sat up, rubbing her eyes and letting out a long, moaning yawn. She stretched her arms up over her head, the sheet falling away from her shoulders and revealing her large shapely breasts.

"Leaving already?" she asked smiling faintly. She ran a hand through her scarlet red hair. It had lost its normal fluff and had fallen partially across her face. Jaeko liked it better like that.

"Yeah, I didn't want to wake you," he said quietly.

"Didn't want to blow your escape, more like," she said. Jaeko looked over at her and she chuckled. "Don't worry. I know the score. Trust me, you'll always be a lot better than how Dukov treated me."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Jaeko said with an accompanying snort. He latched down the final buckle and tugged on his jacket, zipping it up to his chest. His bandolier was lying across the nearby desk along with his thigh holster. Thanks to some new rules by the city council, he'd had to check his weapons at the door, leaving them with Chief Harkness at the entrance to the city ship.

"It is," Cherry said with another giggle. She leaned over to the worn nightstand and dumped the last of the vodka into her glass. She threw it back in a single long gulp, licking her lips. "Still, it did take you a while to get going this time. I think you got bigger, though."

Jaeko looked at her. "What do you mean?"

Cherry snorted. "Your dick . . . it felt bigger."

Jaeko rolled his eyes, hooking the holster around his thigh and attaching it to his worn Brahmin-hide belt. "Not that. What do you mean it took me a while to get started? I had it in like five minutes after getting here."

Cherry grinned at the memory. "Well yeah, but you wanted to kiss and fool around too. Usually, it's just get in, get out."

"Make it count," Jaeko added quietly, more to himself than anyone else.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. I don't know. Maybe it's just been a while. Wanted to savor it. Things were tough last night." Cherry looked at him for a long moment, noticing the far-off gaze present in his eyes.

"Who are you and what have you done with Sergeant Jaeko?" she asked jokingly throwing a pillow at him. Jaeko caught it, tossing it back onto the bed. He walked over and, leaning in, kissed her for a long moment. Their tongues met and teeth nibbled.

"The new and improved Sergeant Jaeko," he said.

"Well whoever it is, I like it," Cherry said. She sagged against the pillow, rubbing her breast and closing her eyes.

Jaeko smiled faintly. He turned and opened the door, exiting Cherry's room. A guard walked past, regarding Jaeko with a cold stare. Jaeko returned it evenly, closing the hatch behind him and heading toward the end of the hall. Inside his belt pouch, he felt the weight of his caps. Cross had only let him take a small percentage, not wanting him to spend it all at once, but it would still be more than enough.

Rounding the nearby corner he descended the metal staircase and opened the bulkhead door leading into the marketplace. It was flush with activity as Rivet City residents and visitors went about their evening activities. Angela Staley and her father worked 'Gary's Galley', serving food and drink. Bannon, one of the most snobby men Jaeko had ever met, closed up shop at his clothing store 'Potomac Attire'. The other shops were already shut down for the day, their various wares tucked into secured chests and lockers, and the guards keeping a close eye out for possible thievery. Jaeko saw Flak and Shrapnel sitting at one of the tables at Gary's Galley. They gave him a friendly nod. They were one of the Coyotes' primary suppliers. Actually, with Talon Company killing off most of the competition, they were pretty much their only suppliers.

_Bastards, _Jaeko thought to himself bitterly. How Cross had ever worked with such scum was beyond him. He could hardly believe there was once a time when Talon Company hadn't been full of dishonorable thugs and assholes. They'd get theirs one day. The Lone Wanderer would make sure of it. He hoped at least.

Descending the staircase down to the marketplace proper, Jaeko made it four steps before he was suddenly slammed into. He shoved the person away – Paulie Cantelli, he saw.

"Sorry, friend. Who are you? Got any Psycho? I could really use a fix, but I'm broke," he said excitedly. His voice cracked and sweat glistened across his brow.

"You know damn well who I am, Paulie," Jaeko said evenly.

"Oh, sorry, Jaeko. So . . . got any Psycho?"

"You know I don't do that anymore."

"Not what I heard. Not for Buffout that is. Speaking of which, want to do some?"

"I'm good. Who did you hear that from?" Jaeko asked. He really hoped this didn't make its way back to HQ. Stamp was right – the boss would be pissed.

"Can't tell," he said his voice only growing more fervent. He scratched his scalp, his teeth grinding together. "Coming down. Gotta get my fix."

"Paulie," Jaeko warned.

"Fine," Paulie said with a huff. He squeezed his eyes shut, racking his memory through all the drug-induced fog. His eyes snapped open. "Ted Strayer. Teddy told me. Said you were back to buying from him."

"Right. Run along, Paul."

"Right. Thanks. Gotta get my fix." Paulie turned on his heel, but Jaeko halted him.

"Paulie . . ." Jaeko held out his hand expectantly. The clasp on his belt pouch was still undone and Paulie's hand was clenched tightly into a fist. His shoulders sagged and he dropped a handful of caps into Jaeko's hand. "Thank you."

Paulie nodded apologetically, turning and heading toward the bow of the ship. Jaeko tucked the caps back into his pouch. Normally, he'd have decked a guy for that, but Paulie was a special case. He was an addict, the basest definition of one, always looking for his next fix. Jaeko had once been like that so he was willing to cut him a little slack. If he did it again, however, Jaeko would make him regret it. A boot up the ass and a talk with his wife, Cindy, would halt him from ever pick-pocketing again. That was for certain.

His stomach suddenly growled and he realized the last thing he'd eaten had been a can of pork on his way to Rivet City. Still, he had an errand to run before hitting the 'Muddy Rudder' for some chow.

It didn't take him long to spot him, slouching in the corner, watching everyone with his twitchy eyes. Jaeko walked towards him, the man instantly stiffening. He had coppery brown hair and was very thin, gaunt even. Injection marks layered his forearm and his eyes were rimmed in red.

"Ted," Jaeko said upon walking up.

"Sarge," he replied his voice little more than a rasp of oxygen.

"Heard you've been spreading rumors about me." Jaeko left the statement open-ended, giving Ted the chance to confess. It didn't take long.

"I know, I know. I messed up. It's just, you know how Paulie is. He gets talking and then you get talking. I just kind of blurted it out. He wanted some Buffout and I was trying to tell him I didn't have any more. Told him I'd sold my last stock to you."

"So much for customer anonymity," Jaeko said.

"Customer-what?"

"Never mind." He took a step in, jabbing Ted in the chest with his finger. "Don't go spreading my business around anymore . . . or I'll tell Trinnie that wasn't Psycho you gave her, just Brahmin piss."

"Alright, alright there's no need to get crazy. She'd tear my balls off," he said quietly. He glanced back up. "You need a resupply?"

"Yeah, give me six," Jaeko said. He dug into his cap pouch and yanked out a few handfuls. "For half-price."

"What? I can't do that. That'll damn near put me out of bus –" Jaeko's firm expression halted him in his tracks. He sighed. "Fine, fine. Half-off. For you."

The pair exchanged merchandise. Jaeko tucked the green tablets into his jacket pocket with his few remaining and snapped the clasp closed on his pouch. He didn't say anything further, turning on his heel and heading for Muddy Rudder. As he passed Flak and Shrapnel they called out to him.

"Hey, Jaeko, you boys really take down a behemoth alive? Three Dog's been all over the radio about it."

"Yesterday afternoon."

"How the hell you do that?" Shrapnel asked. "You boys must be crazy."

"Must be," Jaeko said allowing a small smile to tug upward on his lips.

He descended further down until he reached the scum-ridden bowels of the ship. A sign above the door read "The Muddy Rudder" and he pushed the bulkhead hatch open. A set of stairs led down into a common seating area. A pool table, missing half of the felt covering, sat on the right side, and a jukebox hummed in the corner. On the far wall, a bar stretched the length of the hull, and an elderly woman stood behind it polished a dirty mug. Jaeko walked down and took a seat at the bar. He nodded for his usual and Belly Bonny, the bar's owner, went to making it. A young man wearing a black, old-world biker's jacket sank down onto the stool beside him. His breath was layered with alcohol, though he didn't sport the unsavory yellow teeth or bloodshot eyes of so many of the other addicts around Rivet City. His jacket was also rather pristine, and his hair was slick with some foreign matter.

"Hey, you're in Tunnel Snake territory," he said hiccupping in Jaeko's face. "Gotta pay the fee."

"How many times do I have to tell you, DeLoria? This is my bar, NOT your damn territory," Belle said before setting a steaming plate of squirrel bits and grains down in front of Jaeko.

"Yeah, Butch, seriously. Run along. I'm not in the mood," Jaeko said.

"How you know my name?" Butch asked with another hiccup.

"In the six months you've been out of the vault you've made a name for yourself almost as big as the Lone Wanderer, doing all the dumb shit and none of the good. Everyone knows who you are," Jaeko said. He dug into the squirrel bits, paying Butch little more attention.

"You've made quite a name for yourself as well, Mister Reid," came a smooth voice over Jaeko's shoulder. He turned and saw a man wearing a pinstripe suit, matching fedora, and circular rim glasses standing there.

"Mister Burke," Belle said. Her voice actually showed a faint bit of fear. "How . . . how are you?"

"Fine, thank you," Mister Burke said. He turned to gaze at Butch. "Mister DeLoria, if you don't mind I think I'll take that seat."

Butch practically fell out of it, crawling away toward a corner booth, muttering something about "Tunnel Snake territory" beneath his breath. Jaeko turned back to his meal and shoved another spoonful into his mouth. Burke wiped the stool off with a handkerchief and slid atop it. He was careful to not place his hands on the bar and regarded Jaeko with a cold calculated stare.

"Help you with something?" Jaeko asked blowing on a particular hot bit of food before shoving it into his mouth. He washed it down with a mouthful of water. It wasn't purified, bits of sand and radiation floating around against his teeth, but he didn't really care. He'd wandered the wasteland for far too long to worry about radiation poisoning anymore.

"I certainly hope so. As I was saying, you've become quite the icon over the past twenty-four hours thanks to Three Dog's impressive radio prowess. He's made you somewhat of a folk hero, rivaling even that of the legendary 'Lone Wanderer'." Jaeko caught the hint of bitterness in his voice as he said the last bit. Burked continued, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Sergeant Jaeko, slayer of behemoths, or something like that is what he and half of the wasteland are now calling you. Soon, the Screaming Coyotes will be a well-sought-after commodity. That's why I'm approaching you now with my little proposition . . . before you're floundering in all the fame of an up-and-coming celebrity."

"Thanks, but I'm on vacation," Jaeko said. He hated the way Burke looked at him. It was the way a Yao Guai might regard a mole rat right before ripping its throat out . . . or throwing it in front of a hungry Deathclaw. Jaeko hadn't decided which yet, but the cunning in Mister Burke's voice said the latter.

"You haven't even heard my proposition yet."

"Don't need to. I'm not interested." Jaeko didn't finish the last of his meal. He rose from the stool and tossed a handful of caps down on the bar, more than enough to cover his tab. He thanked Bonny and turned for the door.

"Mister Reid," Burke snapped halting Jaeko in his tracks. "You will hear my proposition."

Jaeko suddenly felt the absence of his pistol from his thigh. He didn't even have his boot knife. Damn these new rules. He turned, gritting his teeth.

"Fine. What is it?"

"The Lone Wanderer," Burke said simply.

"What about him?"

"He is the proposition. I want you to kill him."

"What are you, nuts?" Jaeko asked throwing his hands out to the side. "If you haven't noticed, he's kind of invincible. He took down the Enclave's land crawler pretty much single-handedly, not to mention what he did to Tenpenny Tower."

A bright fire suddenly burned in Burke's eyes, but Jaeko only barely caught it.

"Not to mention, if you haven't heard, he's kind of missing. No one has seen or heard from him in over a month. Not even the Brotherhood knows where he's at, not that they'll admit it."

"I know. That's why you're going to track him down. Your ingenuity allowed you to take down a fully-grown super mutant behemoth. Surely you can track and kill one man."

"I took down that behemoth with a squad of well-armed, well-trained men. I'll need an army to take down the Lone Wanderer."

"No armies, just you. I've tried sending dozens of men against him. They just come back in body bags. He is too cunning, too strategic for your average wastelander. That's why I need you. You're smart. You came up with that anchoring idea. You can do this. And I assure you, you will be well-compensated."

"Can't spend caps if you're dead. No thanks." Jaeko turned on his heel, shaking his head at the man's ridiculous proposition. He ascended the steps, calling over his shoulder, "No amount of caps."

Burke continued standing there in front of the bar. He dug his hands into his pockets, producing a perfectly rolled cigarette and an old Zippo lighter. He lit it, blowing out a long puff of smoke. "Very well, Mister Reid, I didn't want to have to resort to such desperate means."

Jaeko rolled his eyes, grabbing hold of the door.

"It's Sergeant Jaeko," he said just before the door was thrust open on his face, sending him reeling backwards against the rail. Two giant men stepped out in front of him. Jaeko rubbed his nose, already bleeding, and didn't think. He swung at the one to the right, but the man caught his fist easily. He smiled, lifting Jaeko clear off the ground, his muscles pulling tight. His shoulder screamed in agony.

"Convince him," Mister Burke said from the bar. Belle was standing at the other end, a shocked expression on her face, but making no move to intervene. The rest of the bar's occupants, including Brock, the Rudder's bouncer, stared on in curiosity.

The man holding Jaeko grinned at the order, his lips peeling back to reveal a line of yellow-stained teeth. Jaeko gritted his teeth, preparing for the inevitable blow. It came a moment later, knocking him hard in the abdomen and sending him plummeting over the railing. He landed hard atop a table, the legs breaking beneath his weight and sending him toppling over the side. He rose to his hands and knees, his back on fire, and spit out a wad of blood-ridden saliva. Again, he felt the absence of his gun. Grabbing one of the chairs, he swung it outward as the two brawlers approached. It shattered against one's shoulder, but he barely seemed to register the blow. A fist dragged across Jaeko's face and sent him back to the ground. He tried to crawl away, but one grabbed his hair, pulling him around to face them. Jaeko launched a fist into the man's groin. That brought a gasp to his lungs and he doubled over. His partner, however, simply chuckled. He grabbed Jaeko by his jacket and flung him across the room. He landed hard across the pool table and stayed there. The brawler he'd hit in the crotch quickly recovered and walked over, picking up a pool cue off the nearby rack. He clutched it tightly, smiling savagely.

Mister Burke walked over, polishing his glasses' lenses. He put them back atop his nose. "You're going to cooperate, Mister Reid, whether you like it or not. You're going to track down the Lone Wanderer and you're going to kill him. If you don't, we'll know. And don't even think of running. We'll be watching."

He set a hefty, drawstring pouch loaded with caps atop the pool table, before the brawler holding the pool cue slammed the stick across Jaeko's chest . . . again and again.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jaeko crashed through Cherry's door, his face and chest a bruised and battered mess. She screamed in surprise before recognizing the intruder. He practically collapsed onto her bed, breathing heavily, his left eye welded shut from the swelling. A wicked gash was sliced across his cheek. He coughed heavily, his breath harsh and labored. Cherry wrapped the robe around her and kneeled down beside him. A few hours before, they'd been having sex, giggling and thrusting the world away. Now, he seemed barely alive.

"Oh my God, Jaeko. What happened?" she asked running her fingers gingerly through his hair. Jaeko breathed a quiet, gravelly response. Cherry leaned in to hear him better. "What?"

"Get . . . Stamp," he said before total darkness consumed him.

* * *

Scribe Rothchild inserted the syringe into the behemoth's massive arm. The super mutant's chest rose and fell steadily, unaware of the needle piercing its flesh. Its eyes were shut, several tubes running into its arms and chest, pumping sedatives through its bloodstream. Huge metal bars had also been placed around it, extending like arches over its entire body, and the anchors still secured it to the platform. It had been lowered through the same overhead hatch Liberty Prime had once ascended out of. Its leg was wrapped in several pounds of bandaging and the severed limb had been cleaned and stored.

"Making first withdrawal," Scribe Rothchild said. "Make a note, Scribe Jameson."

Jameson, an elderly woman and leader of the archives department of the Citadel, nodded. She inputted several commands into her data pad.

"This will be a day remembered in history, the day we found a cure for the super mutant blight," Rothchild said. He withdrew the syringe, injecting a small amount of the blood onto a small glass observation pallet. He slid it into the nearby microscope and placed the syringe back in its holder. A dozen others waited to be used.

All around, the Scribes were gathered, making various notes. Scribe Bigsley had several drums of purified water waiting beside him for when they were ready for their first tests, though it probably wouldn't be for several weeks. Still, he was excited to finally be welcomed back into the proper order for his knowledge. He was, after all, the foremost expert on water purification now. It would be his final word on whether or not to put a cure in their purified water supply.

Rothchild leaned in and looked through the microscope's lenses. He adjusted the definition and stared for several long moments, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Finally, he stepped back and rubbed his eyes. He turned to the waiting Scribes.

"I'm going to need . . ." he paused, thinking. "I'm going to need several different samples of human blood, male and female of every type. Those with and without radiation in their system. I'm going to need sterilization equipment, Rad-away, Rad-x, every ounce of data the Lone Wanderer has ever given us from Vault 87. I need any samples we can find from the Ghoul populations, feral and sane. Cease the 'shoot on sight' order at once. We need viable specimens. I need . . . oh, God, it's going to be a long night."

The Scribes immediately went to their assigned task. Rothchild quickly grabbed a pen and paper, jotting down supplies as they came to mind, and barking orders at Initiates and Paladins alike. He only ceased when Elder Lyons came down to check on their progress . . . and his friend. Rothchild hadn't slept since first hearing of the behemoth's capture.

"I hope I am not interrupting too much," Elder Lyons said. Rothchild shook his head.

"No, we're just getting started. It's so exciting, Owyn."

"I know, I know," Elder Lyons said smiling through his thick white beard. "We owe the Screaming Coyotes a great debt of gratitude. Hard to think those are men we once turned down for recruitment."

"They are a hardy bunch, I will give them that," Rothchild said his eyes falling upon the sedated behemoth. "If the Lone Wanderer were still around, I'd have asked him to do it, but . . ."

"He's away," Lyons filled in. His eyes sank toward the ground.

"I'm sorry, my friend. He and Sarah will return soon."

"I just wish I knew where they went. He comes to her in the middle of the night, begging for her assistance, and all she can tell me in regards to where they're going is North. _North? _That could mean a hundred different places. New York City, the Commonwealth, the Pitt –"

"They did not go to the Pitt."

"How can you be sure?"

"The Lone Wanderer told me himself he'd never go back there if he could help it. He freed the slaves, but something that happened there changed him. He never was quite the same afterward. Still, whatever happened there enticed him to finally help us destroy the land crawler."

"I have no doubt the scars of our actions still burn brightly there."

"I wouldn't worry about Sarah, my friend. She is strong. The Lone Wanderer is with her. That should be more than enough to put your mind at ease."

"Her strength does. You're right about that. Being with the Lone Wanderer, however, wherever they may be, does not. He has done so much for us, but he is a wildcard. He bases his actions on so little and so much all at the same time. He's . . . unpredictable."

"I don't like him much – he's very disrespectful – but his unpredictability _is_ what helped wipe the Enclave off the map."

"I suppose. A father will always be a father, though," Elder Lyons said. Rothchild nodded, though he hardly had justification to agree. He'd never had offspring of his own. Science was his child and he it's father. He went back to the microscope, watching the yellow cells fight against one another.

* * *

His mother sobbing, his father dying, a baby wailing – it was all a violent repertoire inside his head. Finally, it began to fade, however, as consciousness slowly greeted him. His eyes gradually opened and he was greeted by the bright sun overhead, stinging his senses. He groaned and rolled away from it, bringing his hand up to cover his face. He instantly regretted it as pain suddenly shot up all around his body. His chest felt like it had caved in and his nose had never hurt so bad in his entire life. It burned when he breathed, it stung when he moved. He felt like he was falling apart.

"'Bout time you woke up," a gruff, sardonic voice said from somewhere nearby. Jaeko rolled back over and saw Stamp sitting there atop a sleep mat, a can of beans steaming over a small open flame. The crackling fire had been dug into the ground, to help keep the scent from escaping and attracting roaming critters.

"What happened?" Jaeko asked. His voice was more of a croak and he swallowed a thick ball of cotton that had developed in his throat. Stamp handed him a canteen and he took several long pulls.

"You tell me. Harkness came over the ham radio, said you'd been attacked. Cherry was going nuts. I hauled ass over as quick as I could. By the time I got there you were delusional, screaming God only knows what. The doctor gave you a sedative and some Med-x to help with the pain. Said nothing's broken, but you'll be hobbling for a while."

Jaeko slowly sat up, bringing a groan to his lips and a coppery taste to the back of his throat – blood, he knew from experience. He glanced around. They were camped out on the outskirts of the city. A pack Brahmin stamped around nearby.

"Borrowed her from Crow. He owed me a favor. She's been carrying you the whole way since we left Rivet City," Stamp explained. "So . . . you gonna tell me what the hell happened to you or not?"

"Ever heard of a guy named Burke?" Jaeko asked. Stamp froze.

"Why do you ask?" he asked carefully. He glanced around nervously.

"He hired me."

"No . . . no way, man. Go back. Tell him you can't do it. Burke is bad news."

"I hadn't noticed," Jaeko said indicating his own multitude of injuries. "He didn't give me much choice. Said he'd be watching too if I tried to run."

"Like there's even a place left to run to," Stamp said. "Shit, man, I should've known this whole thing would come crashing down on our heads. No one ever makes eight-thousand caps without some sort of karma coming back down on them."

"Yeah well this wasn't karma. This was some asshole wearing coke-bottle glasses who's asking for a foot up his ass."

"Jaeko, do not go after him, alright? Trust me. Do what he wants and then get as far away from him as possible. Take a vacation to Point Lookout or something. I heard it's nice."

"Point Lookout? Are you nuts?"

"I'm just saying. Burke isn't known to leave loose ends. So do what he wants, then get the hell out of Dodge for a while. Leave the Capital Wasteland."

"Alright, alright."

"Not even the Lone Wanderer was able to track him down after that whole mess with Tenpenny Tower. He actually tried to convince him to blow up the bomb in Megaton. Can you believe that?"

"I'd heard the stories. We all did."

"Then you know this Burke guy is no joke. What could he even want you from you, anyway?" Stamp asked. Jaeko sighed heavily. He locked eyes with his companion.

"He wants me to kill the Lone Wanderer."

"What?" Stamp asked hardly believing his ears. His jaw had fallen halfway toward the ground. "There's no way. That's impossible."

"Why do you think I turned him down?" Jaeko asked.

"He can't really expect you to hunt the Lone Wanderer. No one even knows where he is. Three Dog keeps babbling about some vacation, but it's bullshit. The Wanderer is missing."

"I know," Jaeko snapped without meaning to. A fresh wave of pain shot through his chest, accompanied by several moments of harsh nausea. He said in a much quieter voice, "I know. What can I do, though? I barely stood a chance against his hired muscle. If I don't do the job I can only imagine who he'll get to come after me next. I've got to do this."

Stamp sighed. "I'll help."

Jaeko shook his head. "No way. Not a chance in hell. You've got enough to worry about without taking this load on too. Marie, okay? That's what you're worrying about now. You stay with her. I'm not getting you dragged into this."

"Well someone has to help you," Stamp said. "You can't do this on your own. You don't even know where to start."

"I'll figure it out," Jaeko said. He found the bag of caps stuffed in his inner jacket pocket, dropping it onto the ground. It landed with a heavy thud. "Everyone in the Capital Wasteland has their price."

* * *

Jaeko inserted a fresh magazine into his pistol, securing it back in its proper place on his thigh. He checked his boot knife, making sure the black spray paint had dried across the blade, before sheathing it. Several spare magazines for his assault rifle were stuffed into his pack, along with some canteens of water and a week's worth of preserved food – jerky and dried Brahmin meat. His extra pistol mags were tucked into his belt and he pulled his bandolier over his head, securing it across his chest. It had lost its magazine pouches and was instead adorned with a multitude of shotgun shells. The pump-action was strapped to the side of his pack. One hearty tug and it would fall readily into his hands. He'd traveled this way many times before. However, he didn't normally do it in this kind of condition. It had been two days and his legs still felt like rubber, his back burning every time he stood. Still, he didn't have much choice. Burke was probably watching and he couldn't afford to waste any more time.

A knock came at his door. Zipping the pack up, he called for them to enter. To no surprise, Stamp pushed the door open. He had a worried look etched across his face. Jaeko stared at him for a long moment.

"You sure about this?" Stamp finally asked.

"No," Jaeko answered with a snort. "But what choice do I have?"

Stamp simply nodded. He hated to see his friend off like this, without anyone watching his back. They'd worked together for years and this was the first time he was truly afraid for his friend's life. Stepping forward, Stamp extended his hand outward, Jaeko shaking it sternly.

"Good luck," Stamp said. He smiled ever so faintly. "Get in."

"Get out."

"Make it count."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

As the turbine-powered gates of Megaton squealed closed behind him, Jaeko suddenly felt very alone. His spine tingled and he felt like a caged animal. Burke could be watching from anywhere and at any time, if he wasn't feeling satisfied with Jaeko's progress, could put a bullet in his brain. A spike of pain shot up through his jaw line and he dug into his jacket pocket. Just one would do it, he told himself. Just one would put him at ease for a while. But then he felt the powder his supply had become, most likely from the beating he'd sustained in the Muddy Rudder, and his heart sank. It was all gone. Not one had made it out intact. Jaeko gritted his teeth, staring down into the crater. He suppressed the urge to scream, his hands – balled into fists – slowing beginning to shake.

"Well, well if it isn't Sergeant Jaeko Reid," came a friendly voice from nearby, distracting him from his current predicament. Jaeko looked over and saw a large man approaching. He wore a long brown duster and a wide-brimmed cowboy hat. Even in the shade the silver star pinned to his jacket managed to gleam.

"Lucas," Jaeko said extending his hand outward. Sheriff Lucas Simms shook it immediately.

"I'll ignore the fact you haven't come to visit in quite a while and just ask how you're doing," Simms said with a smile. His grin dropped, however, as the sun settled across Jaeko's multiple cuts and bruises. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Long story."

"Must be for a beating like that," Simms said.

"I'm alright. How's Harden?" Jaeko asked desperate to draw the conversation away from his own problems.

"He's good, he's good. I've got Manya teaching him history and language, and Walter – when he's not too drunk – teaching him all he can about engineer work. Too many of us grew up not knowing our asses from our elbows. The Lone Wanderer occasionally taught him a thing or two about math and some medicine, but that was few and far between. He was always off on an adventure. Still, it was nice when he did."

"Yeah," Jaeko said quietly. He glanced down and saw the undetonated nuclear bomb. The Lone Wanderer had successfully disarmed it just a day or two out of the vault. How was he supposed to hunt someone like that? Jaeko looked over at Simms. "How is the Lone Wanderer anyway? Word has it he's on vacation?"

"Wouldn't know," Simms said. "I haven't seen him in almost two months."

"You too?"

"What do you mean?" They began to walk down the steep slope of the crater. On the left, the Lone Wanderer's home loomed like a taunting gargoyle of the old world, beckoning Jaeko to his death.

"It seems no one has seen him in over a month."

"That's pretty common. That boy is always running off on some foolhardy adventure. Remember when he went to the Pitt? He was gone for almost three months. No one was worried then," Simms said. They reached the base where, as always, Confessor Cromwell was preaching about the power of Atom, despite the fact his holy relic had been deactivated long ago. Jenny Stahl stood behind the counter of the Brass Lantern, a bored sort of look in her eyes. She perked up when Jaeko and Simms walked by, giving them a wave.

"That's because he left a message with the Brotherhood saying where he'd gone. I don't know. Something tells me there's more going on."

"Maybe."

They ascended the rusty, pitted ramp up toward Moriarty's saloon. Jaeko decided to test his luck. "What do you know about that guy Burke?"

Simms froze. Looking back toward the gates of the city, he asked, "Why would you bring up a person like that?"

Jaeko had been prepared for such a question. He couldn't tell Simms he'd been hired by him to hunt and kill the Lone Wanderer, so he'd come up with a believable substitute instead. "I heard the Brotherhood talking about him. Said if anyone had a bone to pick with the Lone Wanderer, it'd be him. What do you know about him?"

"I know he's the sleaziest kind of villain this town has ever played host to. Didn't like him the moment he stepped into town, but who I am to turn down that kind of caps when our water filtration plant is about to give out?" Simms looked toward the sky, a strange sadness casting his face in shadow. He sighed heavily as memories came flooding back like a high tide. "He was working for a man named Alistair Tenpenny. I'm sure you've heard of him. Roy Phillips and the rest of the Ghouls run his old tower now. He wanted to blow up Megaton. Not really sure why. The Lone Wanderer never did say. When he told me about it all, we went to confront Burke, put him under arrest or something. I'm not even sure what we planned to do. Neither of us were thinking straight because the moment he got the chance Burke shot me in the back. Would've killed me too if the Lone Wanderer hadn't tackled him over the railing. They both fell over thirty feet. If the Lone Wanderer hadn't landed on that pipe and put it through his side, he probably would've killed Burke right then and there. But as it is, the Lone Wanderer was laid up for a month and Burke escaped. Never was able to track him back down after that."

"Yeah I'd say that warrants a grudge," Jaeko said with a nod. He remembered the venom in Burke's voice every time he mentioned the Lone Wanderer – pure, unadultered hatred.

"I'll say. I knew I could trust the Lone Wanderer after that. Thanks to him, my son's not growing up an orphan. If something is wrong, or someone is after him, they'd better hope I don't find out about it. I'll rip the sorry son-of-a-bitch's eyes out. So would half the wasteland. The Lone Wanderer's done too much for him to just be killed."

Jaeko swallowed a hard lump in his throat, suddenly wishing to be very far away from Megaton, the Lone Wanderer's home. He nodded and Simms added, "That's how I know he's alright. If he wasn't, someone would have heard about it. Someone would say something."

"I hope you're right," Jaeko said, though he wasn't entirely sure if he meant it. Simms nodded and extended his hand back out. Jaeko shook it once more.

"Good having you back. I never asked you, what brings you around these parts?" Simms asked.

"Oh, just a pit-stop," Jaeko said. He flashed a fake smile before Simms turned and headed back toward the base of the crater. Jaeko sighed heavily. His heart had been hammering in his chest the entire time and his back was slick with sweat. And not just from the heat, either.

* * *

Jaeko stepped out of the common house feeling slightly better after several mouthfuls of purified water and a dose of Med-x. It would have to do as a substitute until he located a fresh supply of Buffout. His spine had finally stopped tingling and he felt a little more human. He'd stored his pack, assault rifle, and shotgun in one of the available storage lockers, checking the key out from the house warden. It rested safely in his inner jacket pocket, along with the majority of Mister Burke's caps – blood money.

Again, Jaeko ascended the rust-encased platforms toward Moriarty's Saloon. This time, however, he stopped when he stood just outside the tavern. He kneeled down and examined the spot Simms had spoken of, where the Lone Wanderer and Burke had fallen almost to their deaths. There were several holes in the metal leading into the dirt below, about the size of a ten-millimeter round. No doubt a struggle had broken out when Simms was shot. Three more holes led over toward the railing. Jaeko could see where it had been bent back into place and welded into its former position.

Truth be told, he wasn't even sure why he was investigating Simms' tale. It wouldn't get him any closer to finding the Lone Wanderer, but it might tell him something about Burke. He knew one thing already. Burke didn't play by the rules.

An announcing cough brought Jaeko's eyes back up toward Moriarty's. A beautiful young blonde woman stood there, one of her eyebrows high upon her forehead. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and she wore a leather vested outfit.

"You alright down there?" she asked smiling slightly.

"Umm," Jaeko said looking out over the railing. Far below he could see the pipe Simms had spoke of. Dried, crusted blood still painted the tip a dark red. He settled his eyes back on the blonde beauty. "Yeah, fine. Thought I'd dropped something."

"But you didn't?" she asked.

"Oh . . . no found it," he said digging into his jacket and producing the storage trunk key.

"Ah. Yeah wouldn't want to lose that," she said. "Haven't seen you around here and I recognize pretty much everyone."

"Yeah been a while since I was back. At least a year or two. I'm Jaeko."

"Ooh the Slayer of Behemoths," she said in a tone that mocked Three Dog's bravado.

"They're not really calling me that, are they?" he asked.

"Sure are. I'm Lucy West."

"Nice to meet you."

"You too." Lucy turned and headed down the ramp, calling over her shoulder as she did. "Careful you don't lose that key."

Jaeko snorted, his eyes suddenly moving of their own accord . . . down toward her buttocks. He shook his head and looked back down at the railing. Still, he couldn't help but cast a sideways glance in her direction as she walked into her house. She really was a sight.

Turning on his heel Jaeko opened the door to Moriarty's Saloon and stepped inside. It was only slightly cooler inside and Jaeko fanned out his jacket, getting some air flow across his back and under his arms. Several wastelanders were seated at the bar. Nova, Moriarty's one and only hooker, had her arm draped over the shoulder of one of them. Gob stood behind the bar, polishing a glass way beyond saving, and watching the situation carefully. Two Talon Company mercenaries sat in the corner, drinking quietly and keeping to themselves. Jaeko stiffened, his hands involuntarily balling into fists. He felt the weight of his pistol against his thigh, his hand twitching toward it.

"Sergeant Jaeko! Slayer of Behemoths! In my bar. What an honor this is."

Jaeko looked over and saw Moriarty walking out of the back room, pulling the curtain closed behind him. His accented voice set Jaeko's teeth on edge, but he smiled nevertheless and moved his hand away from his gun. Moriarty walked up and, instead of throwing his palm out for a handshake, pulled Jaeko into a strong hug.

"Welcome! Welcome!" Moriarty continued. "Please, have a seat. Have a seat."

He dusted off one of the stools with a swipe of his hand and practically shoved Jaeko onto it. He'd no doubt heard of Jaeko's fortune and wanted a piece of the pie. If he only knew, Jaeko thought to himself.

"Get you something to drink?" Gob asked his voice raspy and croak-ridden. Jaeko looked up at the Ghoul bartender, bits of muscle visible beneath his charred and rotted flesh, and shook his head.

"Gob, shut up!" Moriarty barked. "Of course he wants a drink. Get him the best we have. No one comes into Moriarty's not wanting a drink."

"Actually, I came to talk to you."

"Me?" Moriarty asked. He waved away the bottle Gob had produced. "What could a humble saloon owner such as myself offer a wasteland celebrity like you?"

"The only thing you've really got going for you – information."

"I'll ignore that little swat and play along," Moriarty said his mouth turning downward in a slight frown. "Let's go into the back and have a little talk."

Jaeko nodded, rising from the stool. When Moriarty had his back turned Jaeko flipped Gob a bottle cap, bringing his finger to his lips for silence. Gob nodded, tucking the cap away. As Moriarty pulled the curtain aside, Jaeko unsnapped the clasp on his holster.

Moriarty ushered him inside into his back room. A computer console, still intact and running, rested on a nearby desk. Several crates of alcohol were stacked next to a bed. Moriarty sat down at the desk, yanking a pistol from his belt and setting it down beside him.

"What kind of information are you looking for?" he asked. Jaeko looked at the pistol, well within reach, and formed his next words very carefully.

"Personal. The Lone Wanderer."

Moriarty sighed. "You wouldn't be the first. Many people have come through my doors over the years looking for information on him. Where he's gone. Where he's been. I'm sure you won't be the last."

"What can you tell me?"

"For free? Nothing. Information is a commodity. For a good amount of caps, I can tell you everything you ever wanted to know about that little kid from the vault. I even know his real name."

"So does half the wasteland."

"Do they really?" Jaeko rolled his eyes. Moriarty simply smiled. He ran his thumb and forefinger across the thick patch of hair coating his chin. "For say . . . three-thousand caps I can tell you anything and everything I know about the Lone Wanderer."

"Three-thousand? You've lost your damn mind, Moriarty. I'm not paying that."

"Fine, fine. Two-thousand. I know you can afford that. How much is the information really worth to you?"

"If it's legit, a lot. But I'm still not paying two grand."

"You drive a hard bargain, kid. Fine, how about one-thousand and you do a little job for me? That'll cover the other half pretty evenly."

"What's the job?" Jaeko asked through gritted teeth. If there was anyone in the Capital Wasteland who knew anything about the Lone Wanderer's whereabouts, it was Colin Moriarty. He kept tabs on everyone. Jaeko had to see if he knew anything.

"I want you to kill Sheriff Simms," Moriarty said evenly. Jaeko just blinked at him. "He's been trying to shut me down for years. Damn Regulators and their high moral principles. Doesn't like the way I treat Gob and Nova, but damn it they are my property and I'll treat them how I see fit. Kill Simms and I'll tell you –"

Jaeko suddenly launched forward, knocking Moriarty's pistol from the desk and drawing his own gun across his chin. He clicked the hammer back, his face mere inches from Moriarty's.

"I've got a better idea. Why don't you tell me what I need to know and I won't blow your brains all over the fucking ceiling. I'm no hit man."

"That's not what I heard," Moriarty said coldly.

"What does that mean?" Jaeko asked thrusting the pistol further into Moriarty's jaw.

"Word is . . . you were hired to track down and kill the Lone Wanderer."

"Maybe," Jaeko said. Sweat beaded across his brow. Moriarty's fingers really did stretch far across the wasteland.

"Who hired you? Talon Company? They've been after him for years. There's two of them out in the bar right now. Maybe we should call them back here and –"

"Shut up," Jaeko said. He stepped back, his pistol level with Moriarty's head. He glanced through the small crack in the curtain. No one had moved from their seated positions and Gob continued to polish one of the glasses. His eyes settled back on Moriarty. "Tell me what you know."

"Not a lot. Somebody came to visit him in the middle of the night. Stockholm didn't get a good look at him. Said he wore a hood, but after he left, the Lone Wanderer gathered up his gear and hit the road like a bat out of hell. Took that mutt of his with him. That's the last anyone around here has seen of him. I heard he went to Reilly's after that and then over to the Brotherhood, took Elder Lyons' daughter with him, and headed out of town. I don't know where. Honest. You can check my computer. I keep everything I learn logged in there."

"What did he do at Reilly's?"

"How the bloody hell should I know? That's halfway across the waste –"

"Tell me," Jaeko snapped.

"I don't know. What I do know, though, is the next day Reilly cancelled the map gathering contract she had. One of her new recruits was in here a few weeks ago, said they'd all been recalled, that the contract was dead."

Jaeko absorbed the information, none of it making much sense. How could any of that be related? Why would the Lone Wanderer tell her to cancel the contract? They were making such headway in getting an actual accurate map of the Capital Wasteland.

He looked back toward Moriarty. "Anything else?"

Moriarty shook his head. "That's all I know. On my father's soul."

"Log into the computer."

"I told you. That's –"

"Log in."

Moriarty rolled his eyes and powered up the console. He typed in his password as Jaeko walked around behind him. When the central command screen was up Moriarty turned, presenting the console with an exaggerated wave of his hand. Jaeko whipped him hard across the temple with the butt of the gun. He fell from his seat, unconscious, and Jaeko caught him before he hit the ground. He dragged him over to the bed and dropped him onto it. Digging through the nearby filing cabinets he found a grimy rag and a roll of duct tape. He stuffed the rag in Moriarty's mouth, taping over it, and securing his hands to the bed's frame. Satisfied he wasn't going anywhere, Jaeko sat down at the computer and began digging through everything he had on everyone.

If there was anything he could use, he'd find it.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Moriarty did have a plethora of information on the different residents of Megaton – relationships, recent scandals – but none of it seemed very helpful in his hunt for the Lone Wanderer. So that night, with the sun well under the horizon, and the moon high across the night sky, Jaeko set out to break into the Lone Wanderer's home. He did three full loops around the town's border before he was satisfied the evening activity had died down enough. Jenny Stahl had shut down the Brass Lantern for the night, Sheriff Simms had finally stopped patrolling, and only Stockholm still had eyes on the town.

Feeling it was now or never, Jaeko rounded the corner and approached the front door to the Lone Wanderer's home. The door was reinforced and all the downstairs windows had been paneled over. Kneeling down in front of the door, Jaeko worked quickly. Digging into his belt pouch, he produced his multi-tool, clicking the end of the handle until a flat-head apex bit presented itself. He jammed it into the lock and gave it the slightest turn. The tumblers locked down and Jaeko went to work. The bobby pin was in less than formidable shape and he nearly broke it twice as he worked the pins. The first three were easy, but the last two proved challenging and it took him several minutes to finally unlock them. Sweat was slick across his brow when he finally popped the last one. The lock turned and he pushed the door open a few inches. He glanced around the doorframe and spotted the tripwire. The Lone Wanderer was known to be overly paranoid and, it appeared, for good reason. Pulling his knife, Jaeko began sawing at the line. It was made of simple, single-strand fishing line, and snapped a moment later. The door swung open the rest of the way and Jaeko found himself staring at a double-barrel shotgun. The gun was mounted to the wall on a swing bracket. When the door opened, the weapon swung around and would fire. Jaeko breathed a sigh of relief, making sure to kick the tripwire out of the way before entering into the Lone Wanderer's home. He shut the door behind him.

It smelled of dust and dry air. No one had been inside for quite some time, Jaeko realized. He took a hesitant step forward, still on the lookout for a secondary booby trap. Nothing exploded in his face, however, and he slowly began to relax. On the left hand wall there was a vault-Tec bobble-head stand. All twenty of them had been found, the stand completely filled. One in particular caught Jaeko's eye and he stared down at it. The little vault boy was looking out toward the horizon, his hand held over his forehead shielding his eyes, searching.

_Right there with you,_ thought Jaeko as he turned and surveyed the rest of the room. A refrigerator and a sink were in the corner alcove. The proper sitting area was dominated by a long wooden table with benches on either side. A sniper rifle was disassembled atop it, cleaning supplies laid out next to it. The Lone Wanderer _had _left in a hurry. Three wall lockers were by the door and, after a quick examination for traps, he found them loaded with weapons. Combat shotguns, various types of assault rifles, grenades. The third locker held a mini-nuke launcher.

Closing the locker he ascended the stairs toward the second level. Posters lined the walls from various places, locations the Lone Wanderer had been. The Museums of Science and History, the Washington Monument, RobCo; all of them painted a journey spanning the entire Capital Wasteland.

The first door revealed a small room with a bed, a desk, and surprisingly, a pre-war motorcycle. The engine was partially disassembled, laid across a large blue tarp, and one of the tires was missing. No doubt the Lone Wanderer had been trying to rebuild it. Jaeko kneeled down, examining the bike. It was a relic of a forgotten age. He moved on to the next room and discovered it to be a water closet. A large basin tub dominated the small room and the pipes actually worked, flowing out clean – albeit cold – water. Jaeko splashed a small amount across his face and turned off the nozzle, heading for the final room. He pushed open the door, and his eyes were immediately dragged downward. A Mister Handy robot lay sprawled across the floor, deactivated. Jaeko leaned down next to it. Its motion sensor was dead, void of light, and a quick examination of its rear maintenance panel revealed its memory chip had been removed and its main power convertor stripped. The robot had been shut down.

Jaeko stood back up. The Lone Wanderer didn't want anyone or _anything _knowing where he'd gone, or who had been here. He cursed and rested his hand against the nearby wall. The rest of the room was a dead-end as well. It was just a bedroom: a few holo-tapes from twenty years ago, notes on Vault 87, and a few letters from people across the wasteland. Some thanked him for what he'd done, others begged for assistance. Jaeko leafed through them before finally settling against the bed and burying his head in his hands. His body still ached and his spine tingled. He rubbed his neck, knowing he couldn't stay for much longer. There had to be something here, though, something to point him in the right direction. Cursing inwardly, Jaeko stood and walked toward the door. That's when he saw it: a boot print. It was barely visible, the mud long crusted over and encased in dust, but it was there. Jaeko kneeled down, staring at it for a long moment. The boot print was huge, almost as long as his forearm. The Lone Wanderer wasn't that tall. No, this was someone else. The visitor perhaps, Jaeko supposed. It wasn't much to go on, hardly anything, but it at least proved truth to Moriarty's story. Someone had come to see the Lone Wanderer, and whatever they'd said had convinced him to leave in a hurry.

Jaeko sighed, running his fingers across the print one last time, before turning toward the stairs. That's when he heard it – the front door slowly creaking open. He wasn't alone. Someone was inside.

"We know you're in here," came a voice from the foot of the stairs. The door clicked closed. "You might as well come out."

Jaeko held his breath.

"We're not going to hurt you. We just want an autograph is all," a second voice said. Great, there was more than one. Creeping toward the balcony Jaeko glanced down into the main room. He swore inwardly. Talon Company – the two from Moriarty's. They must have seen him come in, deducing his identity from Moriarty's earlier boasts.

"Come out now, you little Coyote bitch!" the first one barked. Jaeko crept toward the edge of the stairs. He couldn't risk a gunfight. That would raise too many questions with Sherriff Simms, the first being why he was even intruding in the Lone Wanderer's home. That put him between a rock and very hard place.

Jaeko pulled his boot knife and sunk into the shadows of the nearby washroom. The Talon Company mercs searched around on the first floor before slowly ascending to the second level. Jaeko held his breath, positioned just inside the small water closet. He held the blackened knife close to his chest. The first one walked past while the other searched the motorcycle room. He kicked the ancient bike over, snickering stupidly, and bringing a burn to the pit of Jaeko's stomach. A lot of hard work had obviously gone into that.

As the mercenary sighed and headed towards the bedroom, Jaeko crept out of the shadows, grabbing him from behind and thrusting his knife into his throat. Fear and panic flashed in his eyes before finally rolling into the back of his head. Jaeko brought him down easily toward the ground.

"I don't see him," the other mercenary said. "Pike, you got anything?"

He walked out of the Lone Wanderer's bedroom and froze, swearing loudly. Jaeko didn't hesitate. He ripped his knife from the man's throat and charged. He slammed into him shoulder first, grabbing his wrist and halting him from pulling his pistol. Jaeko drove the knife hard into his gut, producing a grunt from the man's lips. Two more stabs and he spit a mouthful of blood onto Jaeko's collar. He sagged a moment later and Jaeko let him fall hard to the ground. Breathing heavily, he stared down at the two dead mercs, his heart thudding against his chest. He felt the blood on his collar, sticky and warm, and sent a boot hard into the man's abdomen. He kicked him several times until the adrenaline finally passed. Then, he wiped his blade across the man's armor and sheathed it back inside his boot, leaving the two mercs lying dead on the ground as he vacated the house. No one would come looking for them and no one would enter back into the Lone Wanderer's home anytime soon. Jaeko closed the door, zipped his jacket up, and headed toward the common house.

He was halfway there when he turned a corner and suddenly ran head first into Lucy West. She fell to the ground with a cry and Jaeko swore, rubbing his brow. He glanced down, saw who it was he'd run into, and swore even louder.

"I am so sorry," he said extending his hand outward. Lucy rubbed the top of her head for a moment longer before accepting his help up.

"It's alright. I should – ouch – watch where I'm going more carefully. What are you even doing out right now?" she asked looking around the empty town. Only a few lights remained on in people's homes.

"What are _you _doing out right now?" Jaeko countered.

"I like to take walks at night," she said her brow furrowing. "Helps me clear my head. I worry a lot. What's your excuse?"

"Insomnia," Jaeko lied.

"Right, whatever that means," Lucy said.

"Means I can't sleep. What are you worried about?" He turned slightly so his collar was in the shadow of a nearby building. He didn't want her to see the fresh blood splatter.

"My brother, mostly. The Lone Wanderer helped him a while back, got him back on his feet after some sort of mental breakdown, but I haven't seen him in so long I worry about how he's doing. I'm sure he's fine, but aside from the occasional letter I have no idea what's going on with him. All I know is he's with some people he calls the Family and that they're taking really good care of him."

"I think I've heard of them."

"Well I haven't. I know if the Lone Wanderer set him up with them then they must be pretty trustworthy, but I still feel like banging my head against the wall sometimes. I just want to see him, you know? Make sure he's okay and . . . and I probably shouldn't be spilling all this on you. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Makes me realize I'm not the only one out here with problems," Jaeko said flashing a legitimate smile.

"Oh thanks," Lucy said chuckling. She glanced around the darkened town, rubbing her arms. She asked, "Walk a girl home?"

"You want _me _to walk you home?" Jaeko asked. He was hardly the trustworthy type. At the end of the day, in most people's eyes, he was still just a mercenary.

"Yeah, who better than the Slayer of Behemoths?" she asked chuckling. Jaeko's eyes narrowed. "I heard Sheriff Simms say you're a good man. I think I can trust to walk me back to my house."

Jaeko snorted. "Heard . . . or asked?"

Lucy smiled. "Heard."

She turned and sauntered away. Jaeko shook his head and jogged to catch up. They walked around the border of the settlement and Jaeko did his very best to keep his eyes forward.

"So what brings you to Megaton anyway? I mean, besides the Children of Atom," Lucy asked. She walked easily beside him and Jaeko realized she was in no big hurry to get back home.

"Just passing through."

"That's what everyone says when they have something to hide."

"Everyone has something to hide."

"True, but 'passing through' hardly answers my question."

"I'm in transit," Jaeko said with a snort.

"You're a difficult man to get to know," she said smiling. Jaeko smiled as well.

"What about you? What brought you to Megaton?"

"Well, I used to live in Arefu with my parents and my brother. I wanted to see the wasteland, though, so I hitched a ride on one of the trading caravans. Made it as far as here before I decided I'd seen enough of the wasteland. I intended to eventually send for my family, but then my parents got killed in a raider attack and my brother went to live with the Family. Been here by myself ever since. I kind of like it, though. I mean, I worry about my brother and all, but it's nice to just have myself to look after for once, you know?" Jaeko nodded. "Where are you from?"

"Rivet City originally. Moved around a lot, though. Then I got set up with the Screaming Coyotes and I've called that home ever since."

"I still can't believe you guys took down a behemoth. I heard it was your idea that brought it down."

"Yep."

"How'd you come up with that?"

"I just thought of the biggest thing I could think of – Rivet City. Then I thought how something like that would be slowed down. It just kind of hit me: anchors. From there it was just gathering the materials and getting enough men willing to try it."

"Which was harder?"

"The men," Jaeko laughed. They rounded the corner and found themselves at Lucy's home. She turned to him, smiling, and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Well . . . thanks," she said.

"No problem."

Lucy smiled again before opening her door and going inside. Just before she shut it she gave him one last lingering gaze. Jaeko held it until the door finally shut. He turned, his heart finally steady within his chest, and the tingling gone from his spine. He felt . . . good. That was until he turned to go to the common house and caught a fist to the gut. He toppled to the ground, his breath gone from his lungs, and Jericho standing over him. The retired raider slipped the brass knuckles from his hand and kneeled down, rolling Jaeko onto his back.

"Mister Burke says to stop fucking around. Get back to work." Jaeko simply nodded, still trying desperately to get oxygen back in his lungs. He coughed harshly. Jericho turned and walked away, disappearing into the darkness. Mister Burke was nowhere to be found.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The sun was just rising over the horizon when Jaeko began packing. He thrust his possessions back into the rucksack, his anger slowly boiling over. How had he dropped his guard like that? It was stupid and it was reckless. Plenty of people would be after him once they realized his true objective. He had to be more careful. Grabbing a tin can full of various medical supplies he tossed it into his bag, sighing and leaning against the cot. Around him, the common house's other residents snoozed peacefully. Jaeko stood there for several moments, frozen with his hands resting on the rucksack. Sweat was damp across his brow and his back had been quivering all morning, racked by spasm after spasm. His throat felt like it was layered in sand and his eyes watered.

He gritted his teeth, picking the backpack up and throwing it back against the bed. The man on the bed beside him rolled over, grunting in his sleep. Jaeko paid him little attention. He grabbed the shotgun from the side of his pack, his anger finally erupting in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't take this anymore. He was going to end this right now. He checked to make sure the shotgun was loaded, giving it a reassuring pump. The shell clicked into position and he headed for the door.

The morning air hit him like a battering ram as he emerged from the common house's dim interior. He shielded his eyes, the shotgun held easily in his other hand. Residents were just rising for their morning routines and most paid him little attention. Everyone walked around armed these days.

He was halfway to Jericho's when Lucy jogged up.

"Hey," she said a smile across her lips.

"Hey," Jaeko said for once not looking her in the eye, or even in her general direction.

"What's up? Thought you might want to grab some breakfast."

"Can't."

"Oh, how come?"

"Business to take care of," Jaeko said. His hands were practically pulsing with energy. His brow was so sweaty.

"What kind of business?" Lucy asked her smile falling.

"Go inside, Lucy." She noticed the hard look in his eyes. She hadn't seen it there before.

"Jaeko, no. Whatever you're planning, don't do it."

"Don't have a choice. Go back inside."

"Jaeko . . ."

"Go back inside," he said sternly.

Lucy stopped, watching him for a long moment as he ascended the ramp toward Jericho's. Finally, she made up her mind, turning swiftly and jogging up the nearby hill.

Jaeko reached the former-raider's house, grabbing at the doorknob and turning hard. Not surprisingly, it was locked, and he gave it a hard shove with his shoulder. It didn't budge. He sent the heel of his boot hard against it, felt the door buckle, and kicked again. The door swung inward and Jaeko moved in swiftly.

"What the fuck are you doin'?" Jericho asked as he rose from his bed. He grabbed for his assault rifle, lying nearby, but Jaeko hit him hard with the butt of the shotgun. Jericho went sprawling backwards, blood erupting from his nostrils, and lying flat on his back across his bed. Jaeko brought the barrel in close.

"Where's Burke?"

"Fuck you!" Jericho spat, blood flowing freely past his lips and down his chin.

"Where is he?" Jaeko asked his voice rising in intensity. "If you don't tell me I swear I will blow your fuckin' head off! Where is he?"

"Go to hell, you pussy bitch! You don't have the balls."

"Tell me where is he!" Jaeko screamed at the top of his lungs. His finger was pressed hard against the trigger, pulling it back millimeter by millimeter. Jericho stared him rigidly in the eye.

"Come on, bitch. Do it!"

Jaeko was about to pull the trigger, no longer able to stand the stench of Jericho's existence, when the door slammed back open behind him. He turned and saw Lucas Simms come crashing in, Lucy right behind him. Simms had his pistol out, his eyes betraying his surprise.

"Jaeko, what are you doing?" he asked looking from him to Jericho.

"Stay out of this, Lucas. This doesn't concern you."

"This is my town. Everything here concerns me," Simms said evenly. Lucy stood terrified behind him, her mouth hanging slightly agape. Her eyes were wide.

"Jaeko, please," she begged.

"You don't understand. This is between me and him," Jaeko said aiming the shotgun back at Jericho. The former-raider continued lying there, though his hand was inching ever so closely toward his assault rifle. His face was hard-set in an expression of pure rage.

"Just like what happened between you and Moriarty?" Simms asked. That brought Jaeko's attention back toward him. "Yeah, he told me about what happened. Now the only reason you're not in jail right now is because I know you, I know you're a decent man, and Moriarty's had it coming for a while now."

"He tried to hire me to kill you."

"Hell, he's tried hiring people to kill me for years. I'm still around, though. Not come on, put the gun down."

Jericho suddenly reached for his gun, but Jaeko shot back around.

"Don't even think about it!" he barked.

"Jaeko! Put the gun down," Simms repeated. Jaeko looked back at him and saw he had his pistol leveled with his chest.

Everything suddenly began to blur. Jaeko's hands quivered so fiercely he could barely keep the shotgun level. He wiped his brow, his hand coming back slick with sweat. His hair was practically matted against his scalp and his back began to spasm.

"Jaeko?" Lucy asked from a suddenly far off place. Jaeko tried to keep his feet beneath him, but the ground was suddenly shaking so heavily. He grabbed onto the nearby desk for support. That's when Jericho lurched. He grabbed his assault rifle, Simms yelled, and everything fell into darkness. Jaeko hit the ground.

* * *

His throat was so dry when he finally awoke. Everything was . . . grey. No, not grey. Just blurry. His arm hurt and he glanced down, fighting to clear his vision of all the gum. An IV was hanging out of his forearm, attached to a drip bag hung from a nearby coat rack. A silhouette stood nearby, barely more than a shadow in his disoriented state.

He tried to speak, but it was so difficult.

"Shh," the silhouette hushed him. It was the most beautiful voice he had ever heard – caring, nurturing. "Rest."

He faded back into the dark.

The next time he awoke it was in a screaming fit. He clutched at his chest, the fire threatening to burn his flesh away at any moment. A man he vaguely recognized – stocky, and wearing a wide-brimmed cowboy hat – held him down. He continued screaming, thrashing against the mattress, until a gaunt man injected some sort of syringe into the IV. Everything became so easy after that. He sagged back against the pillow and drifted into a world full of dreams.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity exploring the inner depths of his mind, his eyes slowly fluttered back open. He had trouble remembering much. The last thing he could recall was storming toward Jericho's and telling Lucy to go back inside. How long ago had that been?

Sitting up slowly, Jaeko glanced around the room. In the nearby doorway, Sheriff Simms and Doc Church spoke quietly. They both looked over as Jaeko slowly rose into a seated position. Church nodded, disappearing into the adjacent room, while Simms walked over.

"I was wondering when you'd finally come out of it," he said. He leaned against the bed frame, crossing his arms.

"How . . . how long?" Jaeko asked rubbing his eyes. His throat hurt and his voice was hoarse.

"Three days." Simms sighed heavily, locking eyes with Jaeko. "How long have you been using?"

Jaeko looked toward the ground, suddenly very embarrassed. So they knew. Lucy knew. He glanced back up. "As long as I've known you. Longer."

Simms stood back up, his hands on his hips. He looked toward the ceiling. "God damn it, Jaeko. God damn it. How could you be so stupid to get hooked on that shit?"

Jaeko was about to respond when Doc Church came in carrying a clear plastic bottle full of water. "I think the better question is how could he be so stupid to try to substitute his habit with Med-x? What was it – Jet? Mentats?"

"Buffout," Jaeko said. Church handed him the water and he took a long, lingering sip. It was yanked from his hands a moment later, Church not allowing him to drink anymore. His system needed to get used to liquids again.

"Well there you go," Church said his tone more than a little demeaning. "You can't substitute an enhancement with a painkiller. The principles are completely different. Add to it your various injuries, which I might add included some internal bleeding I had to clean up, and I'm surprised you didn't drop dead sooner."

"Wait, I died?" Jaeko asked. He scooted back on the bed, suddenly afraid the men standing over him were death dealers in disguise.

"For about five minutes. Right there on Jericho's floor," Simms said.

"Your body couldn't handle the stress anymore. You were dehydrated, your metabolism had slowed down to a crawl, your nervous system shut down on you almost entirely. Frankly, I'm surprised your heart didn't explode. I treated you to the best of my abilities. Gave you a pretty good jump from an old car battery to get your heart pumping again."

"I . . ." Jaeko struggled with the words. "I can't believe this."

"It's a lot to take in," Simms said sitting down beside him on the bed. He rested his hand on Jaeko's shoulder. "You should be glad Lucy came and got me. If she hadn't you and Jericho both would probably be dead."

"Oh, God. Jericho –" Jaeko looked toward the door, his hand reaching for a gun that wasn't there.

"Has been dealt with," Simms filled in. "He won't bother you. Not inside the walls of Megaton at least and he's gotten way too comfortable to leave anytime soon."

Jaeko buried his face in his hands, shaking his head as Simms continued. "Now, you want to tell me what this is all about? I'm not stupid. I know there's more going on here than just a friendly pit-stop. What is it?"

Jaeko continued to shake his head. "I can't, Lucas. I'm sorry. I just can't."

Simms stood back up, sighing and reaching into his pocket. "Well I'm sorry too then. I'm afraid I'm going to have to place you under arrest."

He produced a set of handcuffs from inside his ancient duster. Jaeko looked up at him, hardly able to believe his ears. "You've got to be kidding me, Lucas."

He glanced left and saw a syringe in Church's hand. His thumb was pressed against the plunger, ready to use it.

They weren't kidding.

Jaeko looked for a way out, glancing around and scooting even further back on the bed, but none were presenting themselves. That's when the front door burst open.

"Sheriff, no!" Lucy said suddenly storming into the room. She slapped Church's hand down, and moved to stand beside Jaeko. "Sheriff, no. There's got to be some way we can move past all this. It'd be stupid to save his life just to toss him in jail. And for how long? We don't have the resources to keep him in there indefinitely."

"It'd just be until I figured out what to do with him," Simms said. He still held the handcuffs out before him. "Maybe get to the bottom of all this. Look, I don't like it either, but I can't just let him go not knowing what's going on, or whether or not he'll continue to be a danger. I have to think of the town."

Lucy glanced back at Jaeko. She had a strange look in her eye before she shot back around toward Sheriff Simms.

"Jericho tried to rape me!" she cried. Simms' mouth fell open.

"What?" he asked flabbergasted. The handcuffs fell back to his side.

"The other night after Jaeko walked me home. He was really drunk. I managed to fight him off and he stumbled home, but I was really upset so I told Jaeko about it. He was just trying to do what's right, avenge my honor and all that. I begged him not to tell, though. I didn't want to seem weak. You can't punish him for that."

Simms looked from her to Jaeko to Doctor Church. Church simply stood there, a look of surprise stretched across his own face. Simms locked eyes with Jaeko. "Was that what happened?"

Jaeko glanced at Lucy, then to Simms. He said sternly, "It wasn't right."

Simms held his gaze for several long moments in which only Doc Church breathed. Finally, he let out a hefty, long-winded sigh. "Fine, I guess you're right. I'll have to go talk to Jericho now, though."

He stuffed the restraints back into his jacket.

"Please don't," Lucy said. "Jaeko made his point and I doubt he'll be coming back after me anytime soon."

"Alright if you say so." Simms headed for the door. "We'll follow the old laws and if you're not going to press charges there's nothing I can do about it. If he does it again, though, he'll see some real wasteland justice."

When he reached the door, he turned back toward Jaeko, looking him dead in the eye. "Jaeko, I ever see you on that shit again, I'll personally send you to hell. Got me?"

Jaeko nodded. Simms nodded back, tipping his hat to Lucy, and exiting the clinic. Church simply rolled his eyes, stuffing the syringe back in a nearby drawer and going back into his office. He slammed the door shut, muttering beneath his breath. Lucy looked over, her mouth a thin line across her face.

"I think you owe me one hell of an explanation," she said. Jaeko rubbed his eyes, sinking back against the pillow and wishing to God he could just go back to the old days.

"Lucy . . ."

"Uh-uh," she said shaking her head. "You're telling me why I just covered up for you and you're telling me what's going on. Why did you go after Jericho like that?"

Jaeko waited a long moment before responding, gathering his thoughts and words carefully. What could he really tell her without her turning on him? At the same time, he knew if he lied, she'd see right through him. She was too sharp to fool very easily.

"I'm looking for the Lone Wanderer."

"Okay? Who isn't these days?" Lucy asked.

"No, I mean I'm really looking for him. I've been hired to find him. Jericho showed up last night after I walked you home to get me back on schedule. I guess I was giving him a little payback."

"There's got to be more to it than that." Lucy stared intently into his eyes, her gaze unyielding and searching for the truth. Jaeko made up his mind.

"Burke hired me."

"What?" Lucy said standing up.

"Well not so much hired me as forced my hand," Jaeko filled in. Lucy could hardly believe her ears. She ran her hand through her hair, resting her palm across her mouth. No, Burke was gone. He'd left the wasteland. How could he be back?

"How . . . I . . . you can't be serious. You know who he is, right? What he tried to convince the Lone Wanderer to do?"

"Yeah I heard the story."

"Then why would you take a job from him? He's evil. He's –"

"A very resourceful and powerful man," Jaeko cut in. He glanced around, searching to see if he was hidden somewhere in the nearby shadows. "He didn't give me much choice, okay?"

"You know why he wants you to track him down, right? He wants to kill him."

"I know."

"I . . . how could you do that, Jaeko? I lied for you and you're planning on killing the one good person this wasteland has seen in a long time. How could you?"

"I don't have a choice!" Jaeko snapped without meaning to. She wasn't understanding, though. "He is forcing me to do it, okay? And at any time if I stop someone like Jericho is going to show up in the middle of the night and slice my throat open. He is always watching. He knew I was procrastinating with you. That's why Jericho came at me. He had a message from Burke. 'Stop fucking around. Get back to work'. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Lucy, but you can see why. Burke is way too powerful to mess with. I have to do this."

"No you don't. You can tell someone. Sheriff Simms . . . or the Brotherhood –"

"What can they do? Simms told me himself. Burke I a ghost. He's only seen when he wants to be. I tell anyone, he'll disappear back into the wasteland, only to turn up when one of his goons shows up to gut me. I have to do this. At least for now."

"What do you mean 'at least for now'?"

"I've been trying to come up with some way out of this, buy enough time until I can figure something – anything – out. Maybe if I find the Lone Wanderer I can get him to help me turn the tables on Burke. I don't know," Jaeko said groaning. "Everything is just so screwed up right now. I can barely think straight."

"One thing's for sure. You cannot kill the Lone Wanderer."

"I may not have a choice. If it comes down to him or me, I've never exactly been the sacrificial type."

"I can help you," Lucy said.

"What? No way."

"I can. And trust me, if you're trying to track down the Lone Wanderer you're going to need it. When he doesn't want to be found, _no one_ knows where he is."

"No offense, Lucy, but you said it yourself. You've seen enough of the wasteland and all you did was travel here from Arefu. I've traveled the wastes, seen my fair share of shit. I can handle this."

"Yeah because you've done such a fine job so far," she said nodding toward the drip bag still hanging from the coat rack. Jaeko reached down and yanked the tube from his arm. It stung and he cringed, but continued to look up at her sternly nonetheless.

"You're not coming with me."

"Yes I am. You don't know the Lone Wanderer. If you show up telling him the story you just told me he's likely just to put a bullet in you for good measure,_ if_ he doesn't just kill you on sight. Besides Reilly's, he really doesn't like mercs. Plus, I know him. I know what he's like. I can probably help you track him, see something you don't."

Jaeko sighed. There wasn't any convincing her otherwise and if he turned her down she might run and tell Simms about what was really going on. He glanced up at her, his mind made up whether he wanted to admit it or not. "You any good with a gun?"

Lucy grinned widely. "I've been known to handle a laser pistol from time to time."

Jaeko nodded. "Good, because I hate sharing ammo."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"You swapped out the focusing lenses, right?" Jaeko asked. He examined the laser pistol carefully. It was slightly beat up, marred by scorch marks and tiny nicks and scratches, but it would work. Moira nodded excitedly.

"I sure did. I also added in a new dampening coil to the inverter radial. It'll cut down on overheats."

Jaeko aimed the gun toward the ground, checking the sights. They seemed lined up enough, but he'd have to do a real field test to check them properly.

"Thanks, Moira."

"No problem. Always happy to help," she said beaming brightly. On the far wall her bodyguard rolled his eyes.

Jaeko nodded and turned for the door, the pistol held lazily in one hand. He rotated his shoulder carefully as he headed outside, a slight ache still present. The sun was like a kick to the stomach as he emerged out onto the metal platform. His eyes burned and a wave of nausea racked his body. His grip tightened around the pistol and he clenched his teeth, willing the bile back down his throat. His body was still recovering from all its injuries and withdrawal symptoms, though the latter were slowly ebbing away.

He stared out over Megaton. Confessor Cromwell, ever at his post beside the nuclear warhead, preached loudly. Few listened. Jenny Stahl served food to several Megaton residents, smiling and laughing at their various tales of adventures long past. Young Harden Simms and the orphan, Maggie, ran excitedly from one side of town to the next. Billy Creel - Maggie's adoptive father - and Sheriff Simms watched from a nearby platform, chuckling at the children's playful innocence. Simms glanced over at Jaeko, his smile dropping, and his eyes taking on a disapproving stare. Jaeko turned away. He hated that look.

Making his way down the nearby ramp Jaeko headed toward Lucy's. It was a large home on the opposite side of town. Several people stared as he passed by. Some held looks of sympathy. Others - pity. Most were looks of disdain. He had disrupted the quiet proceedings of their peaceful settlement. He was no longer welcome.

As he passed by, Leo Stahl stumbled out of the Brass Lantern's rear exit. He shielded his eyes, his scleras bloodshot and his lids rimmed in red. He caught sight of Jaeko and called out.

"Hey!" He staggered over. Jaeko kept walking.

"Fuck off, Leo," he said bitterly.

"What? I heard about your troubles. Thought you might want to –"

"I said fuck off, Leo. That last batch you gave me was crap. You think I can't tell when you've been shaving off the top? I could practically taste the coating." Leo slowed, Jaeko calling over his shoulder. "Besides, I'm done with that stuff anyways."

"That's what you said last time," Leo called after him. Jaeko held up his middle finger in response. Rolling his eyes, Leo turned and stumbled toward Moriarty's. Maybe someone in there would appreciate his merchandise.

Jaeko approached Lucy's home, trying desperately to feel good about the situation. How could he, though? She was a liability. He'd spend half his time looking after her, the other half covering his own ass. Plus, he could only guess how Mister Burke would feel about her addition. He would probably turn the whole wasteland against them.

He rapped heavily on the door, the laser pistol tucked under one arm. No answer came, though, and he knocked again. Still nothing. As a batch of Megaton settlers strode past, muttering beneath their breath, he turned the knob and walked in. The ground floor didn't have much. There was a small sitting area and an alcove where several boxes have been stacked. Jaeko set the laser pistol down on the nearby table, glancing around.

"Lucy?" he called out.

There was no response, his heart filling with a sudden trepidation. Surely Mister Burke wouldn't kill her just for being involved. Even more, he couldn't possibly make it through the front gates without someone seeing him. Still, Jaeko suddenly felt very anxious, pulling his pistol and ascending the nearby staircase.

He called out again. Still nothing. He reached the top of the stairs, the pistol held aloft before him. He stepped carefully, his eyes centered on the nearby door. He reached out for it cautiously. As his hand grazed the cold metal lever, however, it swung open, Lucy standing there.

"Oh!" she said in an exclamation of surprise. She was wearing a set of leather armor, though the jacket was unzipped across the front, revealing a fair amount of cleavage. Her breasts and midriff were covered by a thin tank-top and the leather pants clung to her flesh. Her cheeks reddened at his downward gaze.

"Sorry," Jaeko said holstering the pistol. He tried desperately to keep his eyes level. "I called out, but you didn't respond. Thought something might have happened."

"Like what?" Lucy asked chuckling. At Jaeko's firm expression, however, her smile faltered.

"There's something you need to understand, Lucy." He led her downstairs, handing her the pistol. "I don't know how Burke is gonna feel about you being on this little mission. I can't guarantee he might not try to kill you. And, frankly, I don't know if I can stop him if he does."

"You think that hasn't occurred to me?" she asked holding the laser pistol in both hands, her fingers tracing the various scorch marks and scratches. "I know the kind of man he is. I know what he'll likely want to do once he finds out I've come along."

"If he hasn't already," Jaeko interjected. Lucy simply nodded.

"The Lone Wanderer needs to be warned, though. I know that may not be your primary objective, but it sure as hell is mine now. Mister Burke's after him. Someone has to help him."

"I told you, though –"

"I know, I know. If it comes down to you or him . . . I don't care, though. Hopefully with me along it won't come down to that. We can fix this, Jaeko. We can make it so Burke never comes after anyone ever again."

"I hope you're right."

"I am," Lucy responded smiling once more. She zipped her jacket up. "Now, let me find a holster that'll fit this thing and we'll be on our way. I think I still have one from when I left Arefu."

She ascended the steps back toward the second floor. Jaeko couldn't help but snort at her upbeat attitude. She was a believer. She still had faith in the common good, the decency of man. She would learn soon enough just how wrong all that was.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Jaeko closed his eyes, craning his head toward the ceiling and working out several kinks in his neck. His hand suddenly scraped against something smooth. Closing his fingers around it, he removed a small scrap of paper from his jacket pocket. He had no idea how it had gotten there. It hadn't been there before, had it?

He unfolded it carefully, glancing around the room. The message scrawled across it was simple, inked in artful curvy letters. It read: "You fail – she dies".

Jaeko's heart skipped a beat.

* * *

They set out from Megaton as the sun reached its highest point in the sky. It beat down upon them with an unyielding anger. Jaeko's eyes roamed everywhere at once, his hands twitching at the slightest noise. Burke had somehow gotten inside Jaeko's jacket, a commodity he was never without. That meant he had access to almost anything. The thought made Jaeko more than a little uneasy and even more paranoid.

They were forced to rest often. Lucy wasn't used to traveling great distances and, although he hated to admit it, Jaeko often needed a respite from the road as well. His stamina had not fully returned and his legs ached after the first few miles. It was on one such break she asked him the plan.

"We'll travel to Reilly's compound in the city. That was where he went after leaving Megaton. We'll just follow the trail, kick over some rocks and hopefully learn where he might have gone," he explained.

Lucy nodded absorbing the information quietly. She ran a cloth across the back of her neck, her skin slick with sweat. The leather was chafing across her thighs and blisters were already forming on her heels. She could see why Jaeko favored his denim and corduroy combination over traditional armor. It was less protective, but far more maneuverable. Plus, she'd heard him mention to Moira on their way out of town that several sections of the jacket were layered with thin metal plates. It wouldn't stop a bullet head-on, but it might save him from a graze or a knife.

"You sure you're up for this?" Jaeko asked after she didn't respond. "It's not too late to go back."

"I'm not going back. Not until after we find the Lone Wanderer. So stop asking," she said. Jaeko merely nodded. She was determined. He'd give her that. The Lone Wanderer had obvious earned her loyalty.

"Have you ever been into the D.C. ruins?"

"No, but I've heard –"

"It doesn't matter what you've heard. Nothing will prepare you. Stick close to me. We'll take some streets, but we'll be underground the majority of the way. Super Mutants and Ferals are still all over the place so be on your guard."

"Shouldn't you always be on your guard?" Lucy asked the corners of her mouth twitching upward. Jaeko snorted.

"Yes, you should always be on your guard." He stood, tucking the water bottle he'd been sipping from back into his pack. Lucy did the same. Ignoring the all-too-present ache in his shoulders and back, he pulled the rucksack on. They turned onto the road a moment later.

"So do you have anyone back home?" Lucy asked. She walked with a watchful gaze on the area around them. Although she was not nearly as experienced on the road as he was, Jaeko could tell she was giving it her best effort, and was far from dumb like the usual casual travelers he encountered. She spoke in a low voice, careful to not alert any nearby critters or roaming raider bands of their presence. She also followed his lead readily, always taking his words of caution seriously and staying away from open areas.

"What do you mean?" Jaeko asked. He walked with his assault rifle slung around his neck, his forearm resting across the weapon's black metal stock.

"You know, a girl," Lucy said.

"Oh . . . no, not really. I mean, there's one I occasionally mess around with, but that's it and she's not exactly near home."

"Oh. So you guys just . . ." She left the statement open-ended.

"We're not in love if that's what you mean," Jaeko said chuckling lightly. "She did save my life, though. I owe her that."

"I used to talk to this guy. Well, I mean, we did stuff. He was a trader. He'd come into town every couple of weeks, bring me stuff. It took me a while to realize they were things he'd scavenged off of dead people. I didn't really care, though. This is the wasteland. Everything you see is something someone dead once cherished."

"That's an interesting way of looking at it," Jaeko said quietly. He'd never thought of it that way.

"Yeah. Well, one day he just quit showing up. Never came back to Arefu. I imagine a raider band or some Radscorpions must've gotten him." Lucy looked out into the distance, the memories playing before her like an old-world projection.

"Sorry," was all Jaeko could think to say.

"It's okay. It was a long time ago. Not like I loved him, anyway. That's the way of the wasteland I guess."

"It sure is."

They traveled for a while in silence after that. Often, Jaeko would leave her in some hidden location – a rocky outcropping, or a blown out building – and scout ahead. He'd always return a few minutes later, waving her out of cover, and beginning their trek into D.C. once more. They were approaching the Potomac River, the Anchorage Memorial shadowed in the distance, when Jaeko heard the sudden repartee of human voices. They were gruff and hoarse-sounding, with the unmistakable accent of those brought up with little to no education.

Jaeko halted them, ordering her to stay low and take cover behind the nearby husk of a tree. He mouthed: Raiders.

Lucy nodded, her stomach suddenly loaded with knots. She pulled her laser pistol, holding it close to her chest like a protective shield. Jaeko unslung his assault rifle, flicking the safety off. He ascended the crest of a nearby hill, falling to his stomach for the last several yards. He just barely brought his eyes up over the edge, scanning the area below.

He cursed inwardly. The Super-Duper Mart – how could he be so stupid to lead them this close to it? It was a hive for raider activity. They often set up camp due to its nearby access to popular caravan trails. He'd thought it had been cleared out recently, though.

_Not recently enough, _a quiet voice said inside him.

There were six of them milling around outside with probably another dozen inside. Any more than that and there was always a fight for dominance among the ranks. Jaeko took in several lungfuls of air, scanning the surrounding area. They had to get across the Potomac and the bridge on the other side of the grocery store was the safest. They'd have to loop around, give the mart a wide berth, to make it to the other side safely. Doing the math, he knew there was no way he could take on that many raiders alone. He suddenly wished Stamp _had _come along with him. Together, they could handle the raider band with ease, maybe even set camp in the grocery story before nightfall. Not alone, though, the small voice repeated in the back of his head.

Jaeko slowly scooted backwards, careful to disturb the surrounding landscape as little as possible. He kept low as he made his way back over toward Lucy. She was still crouched with her back against the tree, though she was looking at something at the ground. Then he got closer, though, and saw her eyes were actually closed and her laser pistol was resting at her feet. There was blood, too, across the side of her scalp. Someone had knocked her out. Jaeko turned sharply at the sound of a nearby twig snapping and was hit hard in the stomach. The rifle stock sent him sprawling to the ground, the air gone from his lungs. Lucy suddenly fell to the ground as well, a raider stepping out from behind the tree, holding a line of wire. He'd had it wrapped around her chest keeping her upright even in her unconscious state.

It was a trap. They'd set a fucking trap. And he'd been caught, Jaeko thought to himself bitterly. He reached for his assault rifle, knowing what it would mean for Lucy if they were taken. The raider slammed into him, however, knocking the rifle away and sending him back against the ground.

"I don't think so," he said. His hair was shaved close and a long burn mark stretched the length of his brow. He turned to the rest of the raider band gathered around him. "Take them both. We'll string him up outside, let everyone know the Jackals aren't fucking around. Besides, I think Kara will want to have some fun with him."

Jaeko coughed harshly, spitting blood across the man's boots, before he was grabbed beneath the arms and hauled away . . . toward the Super-Duper Mart.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who have been following this, especially those who have reviewed. It always means a lot to hear from people who have read your work. A special shout-out goes to two of my more avid readers. The first is KingofthePlankton, who has been with me since nearly the beginning and has read my other work "As the World Stops", which I highly encourage you to also check out. I had it posted up a long time ago and am currently revising it, giving it a huge overhaul to coincide with my more recent writing style. The second person I wish to thank personally is Sanima. She has been reviewing regularly and giving me multiple heads-ups on things I have missed, plus a few ideas. I encourage you to check out her story as well, even if it is on current hiatus. Thanks all once again and have a wonderful wasteland day. _


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Jaeko struggled as they wrapped the length of chord around his wrists, securing him to the light post. His arms were stretched out over his head, his toes barely grazing the hot pavement.

"You're lucky the boss's sister wants to have a little fun with you," one of the raiders said. He produced a long-bladed combat knife, tracing around Jaeko's pectoral. "Because if it were up to me, I'd slice you up right now and go have a little fun with your lady friend."

The knife slowly pierced his flesh, producing a groan from Jaeko's lips as it dragged downward, cutting a long bloody line across his midsection. He spat in the raider's face. The raider cursed, rearing the knife back, but one of the raiders stopped him, shaking his head.

"You're mine later," the raider said. He wiped the last of the saliva from his eye and hit Jaeko hard in the stomach. Nodding to his companion, the pair headed inside with the rest of the band.

Jaeko thrust his head against the light post, frustration burning in his stomach. He looked around, desperately looking for a means to escape, but he found none.

Shattered remains of pre-war cars stretched the length of the parking lot and in the distance the Potomac's heavy current thrashed against the bank. The sun beat down on him for what seemed like hours and vultures circled overhead, their wings flapping like a beacon of what was soon to come. He could only imagine what they were doing to Lucy inside the Super-Duper Mart. Though he didn't hear any, he could imagine her screams echoing across the aisles as she was violated over and over. Not for the first time he struggled against his bonds, drawing fresh cuts across his wrists and sending a thin trail of blood down his exposed forearms. He'd been stripped of his jacket, shirt, and boots. His guns had been taken inside along with the rest of his gear.

An announcing cough brought Jaeko's limited range of vision over his right shoulder. A young woman stood there. She wore little more than a leather wrapping around her breasts, a bandolier loaded with .32 caliber bullets, and a pair of old leather breeches. Her boots were capped in rusted steel and they clicked across the ground as she approached.

"My, my," she said coming around to Jaeko's front. "Karl said you were a looker, but I had no idea. Most of the wastelanders we drag in are about as ugly as a Mirelurk. You even have all your teeth."

She thrust a finger into Jaeko's mouth, peeling back his lip before giggling excitedly. She retracted her finger, all the while Jaeko merely regarding her with a cold stare. He didn't like the way she was looking at him. It sent a cold chill up his spine, but he dared not show it.

"I'm Kara," she said. Her amber-colored hair was up in two high-knotted pigtails and dirt and gruel covered her face. Her breath was also a stench to be reckoned with, her own teeth ridden with gaps and tobacco stains. She produced a small switchblade from her belt, flicking the blade out and driving the tip hard into Jaeko's side. He groaned, gritting his teeth as it pierced his flesh. It didn't go in more than a centimeter or two, but it still hurt. She smiled whimsically, asking, "What's your name?"

"Jaeko . . . Jaeko Reid," he said breathing heavily as she retracted the blade from his abdomen.

"The guy who brought down the behemoth alive," she said. "At my camp. Oh, this is a wonderful day! I'll have to give my brother something special for bringing me such a good present."

Jaeko could only guess what 'something special' implied. He'd heard of raider inbreeding; he just though they were wasteland myths. Now, it appeared there was some truth to it. He cringed as she moved in closer, dragging the blade up his thigh and ending at a very special region between his legs. She prodded it once, twice, smiling all the while. Jaeko did his best to keep tears from welling in his eyes, but God damn it hurt so much. She was toying with him; he knew that. The real pain would come later after she'd had her fun. She was a twisted little thing and at that moment he would've rather taken on an entire super mutant army than face her for another minute. Unfortunately, wishes wouldn't make a bit of difference right now as she slowly undid his belt, pulling his pants down toward his ankles.

"Hmm, is it cold in here or is it just me?" she asked flicking his limp member. Jaeko groaned again. Overhead the vultures continued to circle and he wished to God they would just have their meal already. Anything to let this be over. Kara came up slowly, licking the side of his neck and moaning loudly. "Don't worry. There are things we can do for that."

* * *

Lucy awoke slowly, yawning heavily. It was still nighttime it appeared, no light peeking in through her windows. She rolled onto her side and reached up to rub her eyes. That's when she realized her hands were bound, the past two days suddenly flooding back in one long stream of memories. She'd set out with Jaeko to search for the Lone Wanderer, trying desperately to save the wasteland messiah from the clutches of Mister Burke, even if the man she was traveling with was the one hired to kill him. Then the raiders had appeared. They had snuck up on her, gagging her mouth before she had time to react and knocking her out. Looking around the dim room, she realized she must have been taken to their encampment. As she glanced around at the various shelves she saw it was some sort of pharmacy, empty pill bottles and syringes lying scattered across the floor and countertops. She tried her best not to cry as panic slowly set in. What was she going to do? Even more, where was Jaeko? Had they simply killed him?

She struggled against the bonds. The rope was thick, however, and dug into her flesh with an unyielding strength. Her breath grew shallow as her anxiety reached its peak. She was sprawled out on some sort of cot, lying flat across the floor. Bloodstains coated the area of the mattress just between her legs. She wasn't the first captive it had held and if the bloodstains were any indication of what was to come she knew she had to get out of here . . . and soon. A quiet cough alerted her to another presence in the room, however, and she froze. She glanced over her shoulder and saw a foreboding shadow sitting in a chair, an assault rifle cradled across his lap. It was Jaeko's gun, though the man holding it was definitely not Jaeko.

"You can struggle all you want," he said. "It's only going to make it more fun for us."

The raider stood, walking over slowly. He kneeled down beside her. The left side of his forehead was covered in a thick burn mark and his hair was shaved close. She could see the white spackle of head lice coating his beard. His voice was raspy and every drawn out word sent a fresh layer of terror coursing through her veins.

He ran a hand across her cheek slowly, tracing the outer edge of her eyelid with his thumb. "I'm Karl."

Lucy snapped her head around, biting down on his hand with every ounce of energy she had. Her teeth dug into the fleshy part of his hand, just aft of his forefinger, and when he lurched backward a small portion of his flesh remained in her mouth. She spit it out, more than a little blood coating her teeth.

"You bitch!" he said cradling his hand against his chest. He came back forward and sent his other fist hard across her face. Lucy fell back against the mattress, tears streaming down her face. Karl grabbed a lead pipe from the nearby countertop and sent it hard across her thigh. The impact radiated all the way up her spine, a cry escaping her lips. She gritted her teeth as he hit her again, trying desperately to not cry out again. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. After he hit her again, however, she couldn't help it and let out a shrill whimper.

Karl seemed satisfied with his work after that. He tapped the pipe against the nearby shelf. "You're going to regret that. I was going to save you just for me, but now I'm gonna let _all _my boys have a go with you. Then I'm gonna drag you outside and let you watch that bitchy boyfriend of yours get gutted by my sister. Don't fuck with me!"

His shouts echoed across the entire store, piercing Lucy's heart and going straight down to her soul. She knew right then and there that she was going to die.

* * *

Jaeko struggled so hard the bindings nearly went down to the bone. Blood flowed freely across his forearms and down his shoulders. Kara licked him again, tracing her tongue across the soft flesh of his member. She enveloped it with her dry, chapped lips, and brought the length of it into her mouth. Jaeko continued struggling, bucking his hips against her in a desperate attempt to get her off. She continued, however, moaning loudly at his continued struggling. At any moment, his shoulders threatened to pop from their sockets. He felt her tongue work its way around his head and he could take it no more. He got one foot against the light post and kicked out hard. His pelvis slammed hard into her face and she gagged for a moment as he slipped into the back of her throat. Jerking backward, Jaeko's member fell back toward the ground, still limp. Kara looked up at him, smiling, and wiping her lips with the back of her hand.

"I like it when they fight. Don't worry. I can be rough, too." She grabbed onto the back of his knees and brought him back into her mouth, inhaling sharply. A moment later, her teeth closed down on him. Not hard, but enough for a shriek of pain to escape Jaeko's lips. She inhaled again and bit down a second time. Jaeko's eyes rolled into the back of his head as the stress of the situation overtook him.

"I hope I'm not interrupting, but that is a person under my employ," a deep, smooth voice suddenly said. "And I simply must have him back."

Jaeko's eyes snapped back into place, his mind returning to the Capital Wasteland, if only for a moment. He could hardly believe it. Mister Burke strode casually through the parking lot, his pin-striped fedora shading the upper half of his face in the afternoon blaze. Kara released Jaeko from her mouth and turned around, wiping her lips.

"Who the fuck are you?" she asked.

"A person interested in this man staying alive and in one piece, at least until I'm done with him," Burke said. "After that, he's yours to do what you please with."

"Fuck off," Kara said waving him off. Mister Burke merely smiled. He drew his gun from the inside of his jacket so swiftly Jaeko could barely keep up. A moment later, he yanked back on the trigger and sent a silenced round right through Kara's head. She sprawled backward, blood and brain matter splattering across Jaeko's stomach and crotch. Burke simply stared on, his face betraying no remorse or emotion of any kind. He strode forward, tucking the pistol back into his jacket and straightening the blazer back out.

"You do have a knack for finding trouble, Mister Reid," Burke said. He produced a knife from his pocket and, standing on the tips of his toes, cut Jaeko's bindings. He fell toward the pavement hard, the strength gone from his arms and legs. Bile suddenly rose into his throat as the realism of the situation set in. He heaved and vomited for several seconds until only yellow liquid hung from his lips. Burke simply stood there, waiting patiently until Jaeko rose unsteadily back to his feet.

"I'm going to give you one more chance to redeem yourself, Mister Reid. Only one, however. The deal is, though, that you must go in there . . ." He pointed toward the Super-Duper Mart. ". . . and kill that little harlot you've been so . . . infatuated with. She has proven to be nothing but a distraction and I will take no more excuses and no more delays."

He produced a second pistol from the back of his belt, tossing it to the ground. "There are fifteen rounds in there. That's more than enough to dispatch the raiders holding her and to kill her. Consider it a mercy. I could simply demand you to leave her to her fate and move on, but I recognize the value she holds to you, so I will be sympathetic."

Jaeko stared down at the gun. Still feeling shaky in his knees, he belt down and swiped it up off the concrete. He held it in one hand, popping the magazine and seeing it was indeed fully loaded. He chambered a round.

"I did not pay you to be a weak, feeble-minded wastelander," Mister Burke said. "I paid you to be the man who took a behemoth alive. Be that man. Be that legend. Unleash yourself."

"And, uh, what's to stop me from just killing you?" Jaeko asked leveling the gun on Mister Burke's head. "You said it yourself. 'Until you're done with me'. That doesn't inspire a lot of confidence."

Burke, however, simply smiled.

"That would not be wise." He nodded at Jaeko's exposed chest. Several red dots had appeared across his midriff and pectorals. He had no doubt one was also centered on his head. "There are six well-trained snipers who have been monitoring the situation since the beginning. Do you honestly think after all this time they haven't calculated all the variables, all the inconsistencies, and that not one of them would hit their intended mark? Please, Mister Reid, you are too smart to not realize this is a situation you cannot possibly win. Put the gun down and instead turn it on the men who hold your female friend hostage."

Jaeko knew he was beaten and it burned him up worse than anything. He dropped the gun toward the ground, sighing heavily. The scarlet dots disappeared from across his chest.

"I fuckin' hate you," he said bitterly.

"Don't you know, Mister Reid? History is known to hate the opportunist. Kill the woman and get back to work. Find me the Lone Wanderer." With that, Mister Burke turned on his heel, striding back toward the edge of the parking lot, his shoes somehow still maintaining a polished shine. He was at the fence when Jaeko called out.

"I need her," he said still unsure of what he was saying.

"I assure you, women like her are all over the wasteland. She is hardly a necessity."

"She is when she knows things about the Lone Wanderer even you and I don't. They've been friends a long time, since almost the beginning."

"You think I don't know that? I was there when they first met, watching from afar. It was the same day I asked him to wipe that depraved settlement Megaton off the face of the Earth, the same day he declined and made a mockery of everything I have worked for." Burke's tone had shifted entirely. He practically foamed at the mouth. "You think I don't know she intends to save the Lone Wanderer instead of killing him? I know you're smarter than that, though. When it comes down to it, you'll kill him, and I won't have her getting in the way anymore."

"That may be true," Jaeko said the words sounding more honest than he would've liked. "But she _can _help. People will trust her a lot more easily than they'll trust me. I need her."

Burke stood there for several long moments. Finally, he sighed. "Fine, but as I said before, if you fail she _will_ die. And I'll make you watch."

Jaeko simply nodded. Burke turned the corner a moment later and was lost from sight, disappearing back into his ethereal form where no one would be able to find him. Jaeko glanced back down at the gun, a grey-framed nine-millimeter, and headed toward the Super-Duper Mart's entryway.

As he pushed the door open a raider sitting just on the other side stood from his chair. Jaeko shot him right in the chest. His partner, who'd been lazing across the nearby row of carts, was hit hard several times in the face, shattering his nose and jaw with the butt of the gun. He choked on his own blood as Jaeko strode through the second set of doors. Three more raiders were standing by the nearby cash registers. Jaeko put two of them down with a rapid succession of shots before the third one made it behind cover. Jaeko ducked into a nearby alcove as shouts sounded from across the aisles. He waited patiently for a long, breathless moment, until the raider finally poked his head back out to yell to his comrades. Jaeko put a single shot through the back of his head.

Padding out of the alcove on his bare feet, he didn't make a sound as he approached the mouth of the first aisle. Raiders were running across the tops on wooden platforms. Jaeko aimed carefully and dropped one sporting a Mohawk from two aisles over. He did a mental count. Nine shots left.

Disappearing into the gloom the raiders continued to scramble around, trying desperately to find their prey. Jaeko hopped over the deli counter and watched behind the shattered glass counter as they ran back and forth. He heard a nearby door open and a raider walked out of the bathroom.

"What the hell's going on out here?" he muttered.

Jaeko crept up behind him and hooked his arm around the man's throat. He buried the pistol into the man's spine, the gunshot muffled by the meaty part of his back. The raider toppled to the ground and Jaeko grabbed the revolver from his belt. It was only half-loaded, but it would do. Dual-wielding the pistols he jogged down the end of the aisles. As a raider walked out, Jaeko slid across the linoleum, kicking several tin cans in his wake and sending a pair of slugs into the man's chest. The first two sent him reeling backwards, his armor absorbing the lower caliber bullet. The third caught him in the neck, sending a spurt of blood spraying from his throat. He clutched at it before toppling to the ground. Jaeko tossed the revolver to the ground, tucking the nine-millimeter into his pants as he picked up the more-favorable hunting rifle the raider had dropped. He worked the rusted bolt-action and made sure a round was chambered. Lining up the sights, he crept through the darkness toward the next segment of aisles. One final raider stood atop a nearby shelf, crouched low as she scanned the gloom. Jaeko aimed carefully, but not before he heard the click of a hammer pulling back. He leapt to the side just as a raider fired at him from behind. The bullet missed him by a millimeter and he landed across the ground at a slide. He didn't even aim. Pulling the trigger, the bullet ripped into the man's leg. He shrieked in pain and toppled to the ground. Jaeko ejected the spent round as the raider pleaded for mercy. His begging was silenced with a well-placed .32-caliber bullet.

Nearby, he could hear the final female raider sprinting toward him. Jaeko worked the bolt-action, but the new shell jammed. The female raider was nearing the end of the shelf, screaming threats and swear words. Jaeko spit on the bullet and slammed the action backward, the bullet finally dislodging. He threw the bolt back forward, a fresh round clicking into place just as the raider jumped off the shelf and landed before him. Jaeko brought the gun up in a flash and yanked on the trigger just as she landed, sending her falling backwards. She landed with a crash and Jaeko breathed hard.

* * *

Karl was standing at the door to the pharmacy, peeking out the small crack and cursing quietly beneath his breath every few seconds. Behind him, Lucy struggled against her bonds, the gunshots echoing across the Super-Duper Mart. A small hope glimmered inside her. It was Jaeko, coming to rescue her. It had to be. There was no one else.

Karl saw her struggling and told her to stop, but she kept rubbing at the bindings anyway. She was not going to die here. Not like this, she told herself over and over. Karl told her to stop again and aimed his gun. That's when the door to the pharmacy came flying inward on its hinges, impacting the side of his head and sending him stumbling backward. He clutched at his skull and aimed the assault rifle into the darkness. He squinted to see through the gloom, but there wasn't anyone there.

"Fuck you!" he shouted into the darkness. "Show your –"

The muzzle flash and accompanying bullet sent Karl to the ground head first. Jaeko stepped out from the side of the doorway, the hunting rifle still pressed firmly against his shoulder. Karl sputtered on the floor and as Jaeko walked up and kicked the rifle away from his grasp he let out a few gargle-ridden curse words. Jaeko brought his heel down on the man's throat, bringing a sickening crunch and resounding silence to the small, desolated pharmacy.

As Lucy witnessed Jaeko's act of inherent brutality, she realized the man she thought she knew was just a façade, and it was this beast beneath that really occupied his soul. He turned, a fire burning in his eyes she'd seen only once before, as he'd gone to attack Jericho. Kneeling down he cut the bindings around her wrists.

"Did they . . ." He left the statement open-ended.

"No . . . never got the chance," she said. "You saved me."

At Jaeko's downward gaze she realized he had not walked away so unscathed. "Oh God, what did they do, Jaeko?"

He gritted his teeth. "Nothing. Come on –"

Lucy suddenly pushed him aside, yanking the gun from his belt, and firing madly. Three bullets and three accompanying muzzle-flashes illuminated the raider hiding in the gloom. He stopped, the pistol still leveled with where Jaeko had been moments before. It dropped to the ground a moment later and he stumbled against the wall, clutching at the three separate wounds across his chest and stomach. He looked toward her, smiling whimsically, and tumbled to the ground. Lucy's breath slowly returned to her lungs as the realization of her first kill set in. Her arms sagged to her lap, the pistol still clutched tightly in one hand. Jaeko scooted over, his hand closing around her own. She jerked away, but then at his firm grasp, relaxed into him.

"It's okay," Jaeko said. "It's okay."

Slowly, tears welled in the corners of her eyes, and Lucy's head fell to his shoulder. As she sobbed deeply for several moments, Jaeko wiped at a rogue tear threatening to spill down his own cheek. He knew right then and there that he was going to die.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Jaeko sat eating the Sugar Bombs – they'd found them amongst the raider's various possessions – with his back pressed firmly against one of the shelves. He still had yet to adorn any of his gear, the pistol resting on one side of his lap, and three little green tablets on the other. He'd found them amongst the raider's possessions as well and, although he wasn't looking in their direction, his thoughts had yet to leave them. He popped another bomb into his mouth, chewing in silence, with only the soft _crunch, crunch _to break the otherwise reticent atmosphere.

They had set up camp for the night inside the Super-Duper Mart, the bodies dragged into a corner by his own hands to keep the stench of rotting flesh away. They had moved a pair of mattresses into the back offices and, after several silent moments, Jaeko had gone back out into the mart to "keep watch". At least that's what he told Lucy. In truth, he couldn't handle company right now. His mind was a chaotic warzone with Kara right at the center of it, mocking him at every turn, licking her raw, chapped lips.

Jaeko suddenly threw the remainder of the Sugar Bombs, burying his face in his hand. Lucy walked up just then, carrying several items in her hands.

"You okay?" she asked. She had gotten over the shock of her first kill and was now concerned about him. He wasn't faring well at all. Something had happened out in that parking lot. He just wouldn't tell her what.

"Yeah, fine," he responded glancing up at her.

"I brought you these," Lucy said kneeling down beside him. She handed him a small green brick. The edges were rough and it smelled faintly of . . . something. He couldn't be sure, but it was nice. "Manya Vargas occasionally makes soap for a little extra money on the side. Nathan won't use it, hates the stuff, but I thought it might be wise to pick up a bar or two before we left. I figured you might want a wash."

She had seen the blood splatter across his lower abdomen, accompanied by some foreign grey matter. She could only guess what it was, but nothing she came up with was very good. She also tossed him a zipper-locked bag full of some sort of white paste.

"For your mouth," she explained. "Put some on your finger and put it in your mouth. Then wash it around with some water. Just don't swallow it. It'll clean out your mouth –"

"Toothpaste," Jaeko understood.

"Yeah," Lucy said smiling. "Wolfgang was selling it one day. I use it every couple days. Helps keep your breath a little fresher, too. It's homemade so I wouldn't ask what's in it, but it's good."

"Thanks."

"No problem." She handed him a bottle of purified water. "For your mouth. You'll have to use the sinks for your body. I think they're still running. We don't have enough to spare that much."

Jaeko nodded, standing up. As he did so, her eyes fell upon the three green tablets.

"What are those?" she asked her tone shifting. Jaeko hesitated with an answer. He honestly didn't have one. Lucy saw his hesitation and suddenly stomped on them, turning them to powder and kicking them away with her boot. She locked eyes with him. "Do you have anymore?"

"No," Jaeko said shaking his head. Lucy stared at him for a long moment and he repeated in a much firmer voice, "No."

"Okay," she said. "I'll be in the back when you're done. I think we're safe for now. You said not even raiders really travel at night."

Jaeko nodded, thanking her again before walking back into the bathroom. It stank of mildew and sewage when he opened the door. Horrible messages were written across the mirrors in broken English. He paid them little attention.

He started with his mouth, unzipping the bag and taking a small amount of the paste across his forefinger. He laid it across his tongue and look a small sip from the purified water, washing the paste around his mouth for several long moments. It tasted alright, but when he spit it out his mouth felt noticeably cleaner and the foul taste of death had left his tongue. Next, he stripped out of his pants. A downward glance nearly brought a fresh wave of vomit to his lips. The blood and brain matter had dried and crusted over and as he turned on the sink, wetting the bar of soap beneath the stream of irradiated water, he tried not to pass out. The water was more than a little milky, but it would serve its purpose. He scrubbed hard and long until his skin was practically raw, and then he scrubbed some more. The soap left a thin layer of residue across his skin and he was forced to peel it off at the end. His skin was clean, though, and it was more than worth the hassle. As he glanced back up at the mirror, seeing his own reflection amongst the scrawled notes of death and destruction, he felt like himself again.

Glancing down at his discarded pants, he knew there was no way he could put them back on without vomiting again. He'd stowed an extra pair in his rucksack, along with a shirt. Feeling no shame at his nudity – there were far worse things in the wasteland to worry about – he walked back toward the rear offices. Lucy was sitting on one of the mattresses when he padded in. She glanced up, froze, and quickly looked back toward the ground. Jaeko dropped the soap and toothpaste at her feet, thanking her quietly, before digging into his pack and retrieving a fresh pair of pants. He had them on a moment later and Lucy glanced back up. She snorted.

"Modest, huh?" she asked. Jaeko glanced over at her, shrugging his shoulders and brining another chuckle to her lips. "Feel better?"

"Loads," Jaeko said. He yanked the fresh shirt over his head, and fell onto his buttocks to pull back on his socks. "You?"

"Yeah," Lucy said glancing downward. "I didn't feel really guilty or anything. It was just . . ."

"Shocking. I know," he said. "Everyone feels a little different afterward. You're handling it well, though. I've seen people freeze up for hours afterward."

"It helps that it was someone who intended to rape me minutes before," she said. Jaeko simply nodded, pulling on his boots one at a time and latching down the straps. Lucy could tell that had struck a chord so she decided to change the subject. "What time are we heading out in the morning?"

"An hour after dawn or so. Everyone always wants to leave right at the break of day, but if you've got the sun at your back on a horizon everyone for ten miles is going to be able to spot you. We'll leave around seven," he said. Lucy nodded.

"Learn that in the Coyotes?" she asked.

"No, learned it from my dad. He was kind of a pre-war buff. Believed we could turn things back to the way it was if we just held onto the old-world principles. He taught me a lot about old-world tactics and strategies. Too bad it didn't help him."

"How'd he die?" Lucy inquired. She suddenly regretted it, Jaeko's eyes slumping back toward the ground. "Sorry, I didn't mean to – it's just my parents died, too. It helps to . . . talk."

"It's okay. It was a long time ago. He . . ." Jaeko seemed to struggle with the words. He finally settled on the words, smiling faintly. "He died saving me."

"Well his death wasn't in vain then," Lucy affirmed. Jaeko glanced up at her. "You've done a lot of good things, Jaeko. I can only guess what the Brotherhood wants a behemoth alive for, but it must be for something important."

"A cure," Jaeko said quietly. He still remembered his argument with Scribe Rothchild like it was yesterday. How long ago had that been? A week? A month?

"A cure?"

"For the super mutants. They think using the behemoth they can turn them back."

"You don't think they can?"

"No. I've seen too many super mutants do too many horrible things to think they can ever turn back. They're gone. We need to accept it and wipe them out."

"That's pretty cold."

"Try losing an entire squad to just a few super mutants. Then we'll see how cold you are."

"Is that what happened to you, I take it?"

"My first mission in charge," Jaeko nodded. "Only me and one other guy made it out alive. It was back before the Lone Wanderer came in and started cleaning D.C. up. Downtown was still crawling with the mutie bastards. We were trying to get to the Washington Monument. Three Dog had paid us to fix his broadcast antenna. We'd rigged together a new one, but the muties ambushed us. The guy carrying the fresh antenna, Vick, got hit by a missile. Only me and Stamp made it out. Been best friends ever since."

"I'm sorry. That had to be tough. Where's Stamp now?"

"Back home at HQ with his wife. They've got a baby on the way and I'm not risking it growing up alone without a father. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"But you'll take down a behemoth alive together?" Lucy asked chuckling.

"That's different. I'd take a behemoth over Burke any day." Lucy nodded.

"I never did thank you for saving me. You took down all those raiders alone. I still can't believe it. Thank you." Jaeko simply nodded. Lucy stood from her cot and walked over, sitting down beside him. "What time is it?"

"I think around midnight," Jaeko said unsure without a clock nearby or the night sky to navigate off of.

"How far can you walk with only a few hours of sleep?" Her cheek suddenly pressed against his shoulder blade. The warmth of her body radiated into his back. He looked over at her and she leaned in, her lips enveloping his. He returned the kiss for a few seconds, her hand drifting down toward his belt, before a flash of Kara sent him reeling backwards.

"I'm sorry, Lucy. I can't," Jaeko said. Lucy stared at him, more than a little surprised at his reaction. She had thought he felt the same way. "Not now. Not here."

Kara continually flashed before his eyes, her chapped lips and dry tongue, her maniacal smile and even crazier eyes. Lucy simply nodded.

"You're right. I'm sorry," she said walking back over to her cot and laying down upon it. She rolled over so her back was to him and closed her eyes, feeling more than a little rejected. Jaeko simply sat there, his mind ever the whirlwind with Mister Burke and now Kara right at the center of it.

* * *

Jaeko didn't get a wink of sleep that night. While Lucy dozed, drifting in and out, he disassembled the multitude of hunting rifles he'd found. Selecting the best parts – those that were the least corroded or rusted – he swapped them in to make a new rifle. He handed it to her as they set out early the next morning. Lucy took it in her hands, staring down at it. He also handed her several filled magazines.

"I know you prefer laser weapons, but I think it's best if you get comfortable using some standard guns too. Plus, I don't use .32, so any ammo we find is all yours. I swapped out the firing pin as well as the –"

"Thank you," Lucy interrupted. It was his attempt at an apology and it brought a smile to her lips. Jaeko simply nodded and they set out.

They crossed the Potomac under the cover of the morning mist. The river thrashed beneath their feet and in the distance Mirelurks hunted along the shoreline of the Anchorage Memorial. Lucy was fascinated by their behavior as they worked as a team, but Jaeko pulled her along.

"We'll cut through DuPont and rest for a bit at GNR. That's kind of became a way-station for people traveling through the ruins. Plus, Three Dog will be happy to see me. Probably want to do an interview."

"My guide the celebrity," Lucy joked. Jaeko gave her a hard look.

"Then we'll cut southeast and try to dodge the White House."

"Why don't we just stick to the shoreline?" Lucy asked pointing down toward the distant dome of the Jefferson Memorial – Project Purity.

"Too many super mutants and centaurs along the way. They like the waterways."

"Centaurs?"

"Watchdogs for the muties. One of them spots you and you'll have an entire horde of mutants on you before you can find cover. No, we'll stick to the metro tunnels and try to tip-toe across the ruins. If we're lucky we'll only have to take down some Ferals."

"Okay," Lucy nodded. "You're the boss."

Jaeko didn't like that. He didn't want to be her 'boss'. He wasn't even sure what he wanted, but her newfound professionalism set a fire in the pit of his stomach. His rejection seemed to have done more damage than he'd intended. Lucy, however, simply smiled and they continued on. She understood why he hadn't wanted to do anything. It had been stupid to try something and she wouldn't make the mistake again. They were friends; he was her guide and she his moral compass. Nothing more.

They reached Galaxy News Radio with minimal difficulty. The Brotherhood had cut a few safe paths through the D.C. ruins and the super mutant hordes seemed to understand it was no longer _their _territory. Jaeko and Lucy strode through the courtyard where a young vault-dweller had once picked up a mini-nuke launcher and taken down a giant. Jaeko could practically taste the irony.

They ascended the steps to the broadcast station, several Brotherhood soldiers positioned outside nodding in greeting. One of them eyed Lucy. Jaeko gave him a look and continued inside. A number of wastelanders sat in the lobby, their feet stretched out before them, their packs lying on the ground. Jaeko nodded at them and headed up the stairs, Lucy right behind him. Several of them looked to have been through hell and she was suddenly very thankful she had such an experienced companion.

A Brotherhood trooper was standing right outside the broadcasting room and halted them with a raise of his hand.

"No civilians allowed past here," he said. He held his laser rifle across his chest, his voice filtered through the metal helmet's multiple respirators. "Three Dog is currently on the air."

"He'll want to see me," Jaeko said.

"No exceptions."

"Just tell him Jaeko Reid is here –"

"Did someone say Jaeko Reid is here?" came a voice from inside the broadcasting room. Three Dog spoke into the microphone for a moment. "Sorry, folks, but a very special guest is here to see us. Hold on just a moment and I'll grab him."

The door swung open and Three Dog stood there. He looked the same as the last time Jaeko had seen him: tinted glasses, a head wrap covering his swathe of black hair, and a smile that could charm a Yao Guai.

"Jaeko Reid, Slayer of Behemoths! I knew you'd be in sooner or later. Come on, you've got to let me have an interview." Before Jaeko could respond Thee Dog grabbed his arm and pulled him into the broadcasting room. The Brotherhood soldier waved Lucy in, shaking his head. Jaeko was thrust down into one of the seats, a second microphone slid in front of him. Three Dog tapped his own microphone. "Excuse me, children. We interrupt the normal morning news to bring you a special once-in-a-lifetime interview with the Slayer of Behemoths himself, Sergeant Jaeko Reid of the Screaming Coyotes mercenary band!"

"You know I didn't actually slay anything, right?" Jaeko said. "We captured it."

"Exactly! Anyone with a Fat Man or a few missiles can kill a behemoth if they've got the stomach to stick around long enough. _No one_ can capture a behemoth. No one except you that is. Tell us why that is," Three Dog said. He scooted the microphone closer to Jaeko's lips. Glancing back at Lucy, he received no help from her as she smiled widely, urging him forward with an outward push of her hands.

"I just . . . um . . . had a really good team," Jaeko offered.

"Well yeah. Anyone willing to stick with you through that kind of plan has to be pretty damn good . . . or pretty damn crazy. But what inspired you? Was it the Lone Wanderer? I heard those anchors you used were pretty similar to the Lone Wanderer's own railway gun. Did he give you the idea?"

"Not really. I mean, yeah, the anchors were based off the railway gun's design, but that was around long before the Lone Wanderer starting using it. I just thought about a ship. What would you use to stop something like that? Anchors, right?"

"Right, but come on. You're telling me nothing in the Lone Wanderer's past conquests influenced your strategy. I mean, the man even took down the one in the capital building."

"No, I told you. Nothing influenced me. I just thought logically. The Lone Wanderer's not the only good fighter out there. I've got a dozen men back home I'd stake my life on just as much as the Lone Wanderer."

"I sense a little hostility there, Sergeant Jaeko."

"Not hostility. Just fact. The Lone Wanderer's a great guy. Don't get me wrong. He's done a lot of good. But it is possible some of us wake up not thinking about how we can mimic the Lone Wanderer."

"Another statue of how the Lone Wanderer has affected our beloved wasteland – people trying to be better on their own. There you have it, children, my faithful listeners. From the words of Sergeant Jaeko Reid: a behemoth is like a ship. Until next time this is Three Dog."

He gave a howl into the microphone. "Now, here's some music to help pass the hardships of the day away."

Three Dog pushed the mike away, flipping a switch on his tape player and spouting some ancient tune into the microphone. He ushered them into the back room where they wouldn't interrupt the broadcast. When he closed the door Jaeko turned sharply.

"What the hell was that, Trip?"

"What?" Three Dog asked holding his hands up in a mock form of surrender.

"You know what," Jaeko said thrusting an accusing finger at Three Dog's chest.

"Sorry, but . . . Trip?" Lucy inquired. Jaeko looked over at her.

"You know – triple. _Three_ Dog."

"It's what he calls me," Three Dog explained. Lucy nodded and Jaeko turned back toward the disc jockey.

"You pretty much made me look like the Lone Wanderer's little bitch on the radio. What am I, his lost puppy, trying desperately to gain his approval? I came up with that anchor idea on my own, Trip. Me. And I didn't study the Lone Wanderer's adventures to come up with it."

"I know that. But the Capital Wasteland needs someone to idolize. He's their hero. I needed them to think you used his idea to take down the behemoth. If they think you did, maybe they'll follow in his tracks and start taking initiative as well. I'm sorry, my friend. It's all a balancing act."

"Between what? Three Dog's truth and utter bullshit?" Jaeko asked accusingly.

"No, the Good Fight and going back to the way we were," Three Dog said his tone suddenly very serious. "Look, Jaeko, the Lone Wanderer has done a lot – activating Project Purity, giving the wasteland purified, radiation-free water, destroying the Enclave – but at any moment it could all come crashing back down. Especially with him on his little 'vacation'."

"We both know he's not on a vacation, Trip."

"Regardless, with him not around the wasteland has gone stagnant. We need people to start picking up their own lives rather than always relying on the Lone Wanderer. You made a name for yourself taking down that behemoth alive and with people thinking you did that following the Lone Wanderer's footsteps then they might follow his good example as well. We have what, a thousand people in the wasteland?"

"I've never done a head count," Jaeko said.

"Well I have. Just think, if everyone in the wasteland did a tenth of what the Lone Wanderer has done, taking the initiative, trying to make a difference like you did –"

"I didn't do it to make a difference."

"It doesn't matter what you did it for. Let me finish, because no matter what you did it for, with my words it has become a difference. Behemoths are no longer the gods they once were. Thanks to you, they're mortal. They can be taken down by someone other than the Lone Wanderer."

"Only if you use his tactics apparently."

"Yes. Think of it as God giving us the tools to do the work ourselves. If that's how I paint the Lone Wanderer's actions people will be more likely to step up and take on things themselves. Like I was saying, if they do even a tenth of what the Lone Wanderer has done, we won't even need him anymore. The wasteland can be self-sufficient. We could start rebuilding this once great city and it wouldn't matter if the Lone Wanderer disappeared."

"That's a little harsh," Lucy interjected.

"Not if you've seen him since taking down the land crawler. He's tired. He wants a break. He wants the wasteland to handle itself for a little while. That's why I think he's on this little vacation – give the Capital Wasteland a chance to fend for itself."

"We'll see," Jaeko said. "I don't think it's a vacation, though."

"Maybe, maybe not."

"I think I understand what he's getting at, though," Lucy said. "Even if it is in 'Three Dog talk'."

"Finally, a fellow believer," Three Dog said. Jaeko rolled his eyes.

"You're thinking if one person follows in the Lone Wanderer's footsteps . . ." Lucy pointed at Jaeko. ". . . the rest of the wasteland will follow."

"Exactly!" Three Dog said. "You've got yourself a smart girl here, Jaeko."

"Oh," Lucy said her eyes betraying her surprise and sudden embarrassment. "Uh, we're just friends."

"Ah, I see," Three Dog said smiling. He winked at her and Lucy blushed, her cheeks reddening. Jaeko didn't notice.

"We're going to hold up here for an hour or two, Trip, if that's cool. Start thinking up ways to be more like the Lone Wanderer. Then we'll be on our way," Jaeko said.

"Hey, my home is your home for as long as you want it. The Brotherhood has this area pretty much on lockdown. Where you heading?"

"Ranger HQ," Jaeko answered simply.

"Well pass Reilly along my hello." Jaeko nodded, shook Three Dog's hand, and headed back out. When they were back down the steps Lucy tugged on Jaeko's sleeve. He turned to her and she led him into a nearby quiet alcove.

"I need to ask you something," she said. "And I need you to be completely honest with me."

"Okay?" Jaeko said.

"Do you hate the Lone Wanderer? Not what he's done, but who he is because of it?" Jaeko stared at her for a long moment, mulling the answer over in his head. He'd never been asked point-blank like that. Finally, he answered.

"I think he's a substitute for what this wasteland really needs."

"Which is?" Lucy asked.

"Leadership. Not some messiah, not a prophet delivering the wasteland into serenity, but actual leadership."

"That's funny. The Enclave pretty much said the same thing," Lucy said her eyes slits across her face.

"That's not what I mean. The wasteland has seen a lot of good since the Lone Wanderer showed up. He's done a lot. I get that. But until people stop relying on him like Three Dog said he's just a temporary solution. Maybe it's good he's gone right now."

"Is that it then?" she asked.

"Is that what?"

"The excuse you're going to use when you kill him."

Jaeko didn't respond. He simply turned on his heel, heading back out into the courtyard. Lucy didn't follow.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_Just wanted to pass along another thank you to my multiple followers and reviewers. You guys have been awesome and I deeply appreciate the words of encouragement and praise. It helps a lot. So many ideas are circling around in my head right now and, although I know where and how I want this to end, the middle is still a mystery. After all, it's not the destination that's fun. It's the journey. So you guys keep on reviewing, I'll keep on writing, and we'll see where Jaeko and Lucy's adventure takes us next. _

_Also, as a side not, I'm curious if you think chapter ten's encounter with Kara makes this story deserve an M rating. I could use some feedback. Thanks as always and have a fantastic wasteland day. _


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Lucy encountered her first super mutant as they emerged from the Seward Square metro station. Jaeko purposely took her as close as he could without alerting the super mutants. They were milling around a makeshift camp, banging their clubs against the ground and speaking in low tones about "puny humans". Lucy continually pulled on Jaeko's jacket, begging him not to take them any closer, but she needed to learn just how dangerous they were. They were within thirty feet when she finally spotted the two corpses skewered across their fire pit. She understood then why Jaeko was so harsh on their existence and he led her back toward the adjacent street. They moved slowly, rounding an alleyway and entering into a courtyard of sorts marked with twin sabers crisscrossed over a four-leaf clover. It was the Rangers' symbol, Jaeko explained. They were in friendly territory.

As they turned down another alley and it hooked north Jaeko halted them. He approached the edge of a nearby blown-out building, calling out.

"Four," a voice called back.

"Leaf," Jaeko answered.

"Come around with your hands out," the voice ordered. Jaeko waved Lucy over and they rounded the corner, their weapons slung and holstered, and their hands clearly visible. Two men in green combat armor sat behind a row of sandbags. The sandbags guarded the entrance to a partially destroyed building and Jaeko could see the Ranger compound had expanded into the confines of it, rather than just the basement beneath. The first and second floors were occupied by a dozen or so new members, wastelanders who had come to join the ranks of the legendary Rangers. Cots and chairs, a row of lockers, and even an outdoor shower stall occupied the new exterior addition. The Rangers lazed about, hiding in the shadow of the partially-intact ceiling above.

"What's your name, wastelander? You're in Ranger territory," one of the men at the sandbag perimeter said.

"Well no shit he's in Ranger territory," a harsh female voice said. "He knew the code. Don't you think he realizes he's in Ranger territory?"

"Yes – sorry, ma'am," the man said. Just then, a box of a woman walked around the corner, carrying a mini-gun easily in one hand. She had a buzzed hairstyle and arms bigger than Jaeko's.

"Sergeant Jaeko, you have a lot of nerve showing your face around after swiping that behemoth job from us," she said.

"Brick, I didn't realize you guys were after the contract."

"We were getting ready when you assholes took it down first. Ballsy move using anchors like that," she said. She waved them into the compound and Jaeko and Lucy walked past the defensive line. The two Rangers went back to watching the alleyway.

"It worked, didn't it?" Jaeko asked defensively.

"Barely from what I hear."

"Well we got paid so that's good enough for me." Lucy smiled at the mercenaries' rivalry. It was cute, though she doubted either of them would agree, especially Brick. She was a scary woman.

"Whatever," Brick toned.

"Stamp says hello, by the way. Wants to know when he can have his mini-gun back."

"When he admits I beat him fair and square in that arm-wrestling competition. Not my fault he laid ol' Eugene down on a double-or-nothing."

"You named it?"

"Sure did and he's not going anywhere."

"Are you still going on about that damn gun of yours?" A second Ranger asked as he strode up. He wore a moss green helmet, a pack of cigarettes strapped to the side. "No one cares. Not the new recruits, not Reilly or Butch, and certainly not me!"

"Shut the hell up, Donovan!" Brick yelled. Donovan and Jaeko exchanged a quick handshake. Brick turned back to Jaeko. "Reilly's downstairs if you want to talk to her. Probably arguing with Butcher."

"They not getting along?" Jaeko inquired.

"Not since we got this latest batch of recruits in. I think one of the new medic trainees is giving Butcher problems. He doesn't seem to be in a very good mood lately."

"Yeah well Reilly doesn't help matters, either," Donovan said. Brick rolled her eyes, hefting her chain gun over her shoulder, and waving a goodbye to Jaeko and Lucy. Lucy waved back. Jaeko just stood there and Lucy couldn't help but nudge him.

"So what can we do for you, Sarge? Reilly's pretty burned up you got that behemoth before we could. Ever since we stopped the geo mapping contract we've been a little hard pressed for caps. That behemoth was supposed to pave the way for us for a while."

"My apologies. Next time I'll be sure to ask if you guys have plans for a contract before we take it. Cross just loves throwing out charity work," Jaeko said the corners of his mouth tugging upward. Lucy watched the proceeding with a quizzical gaze. It was a side of Jaeko she had never seen before. He was with his own people – freelancers, mercs. He was at ease, comfortable even. She liked being here already. It was a nice respite from the harsh cruelty of the wasteland she hadn't felt since leaving Megaton. Not even at GNR.

"Thanks; we'd appreciate that. Maybe it'd make Reilly and Butcher stop arguing."

"What's with them?"

"You got me. Ever since they made it 'official' last year they've done nothing but argue. Who knows? What brings you up here, anyway?"

"I actually need to ask Reilly some questions. You too depending on what she says," Jaeko answered carefully, not wanting to spill too much too soon. Lucy seemed to catch his caution and kept her mouth shut.

"About what?" They began walking toward the compound's sublevel. The recruits and newer members regarded Jaeko and Lucy with curious stares. They recognized the logo scratched across his jacket – the Screaming Coyotes, their biggest competition besides Talon Company – but the girl with him was unfamiliar. Several of the male Rangers eyed her with slanted brows. A few of the female recruits slapped their male counterparts, getting them back to their assigned tasks. The foreboding presence of Brick got them back on track as well.

"The geo mapping contract, actually," Jaeko said.

"What, why we stopped?"

"Maybe."

"Your guess is as good as mine. Me and one of the new recruits, Hoskins, were out on an assignment over by Tenpenny Tower when Reilly came over the ham and told us to get back. She recalled everybody. A few people who were back here when it happened said the Lone Wanderer had been here the night before. I never saw him, though, and Reilly won't say what happened. Not even to me and Brick. Butcher's a clamshell too. Completely shut up. We've been looking for fresh assignments ever since. I think Reilly's in talks with the Brotherhood about some other assignment now, though. If you guys don't swipe it out from under us again."

"We both know there was no swiping. We caught that behemoth fair and square. Besides, what was your guys' plan?"

"Tripwire. Then we were going to blow its arms off so it couldn't stand back up."

"That's stupid," Jaeko said.

"Not that different from your plan actually."

"Yeah, except mine's not stupid and actually worked."

"Hey, ours would've worked."

"Whatever you say, Donovan," Jaeko said. Donovan typed the pass code into the computer terminal and the door to the compound sublevels unlocked with a buzz. He waved them inside, bowing low. Jaeko pushed him so he almost toppled over and Lucy snickered.

"Holler at me later, Jaeko. I've been practicing my throwing skills."

"Alright," Jaeko called over his shoulder. They descended into the cooler basement of the building. A generator hummed from a nearby room, powering the compound, and Lucy actually smelled brewing coffee. The lights were dim, but it didn't smell of dust like so many other buildings in the Capital Wasteland. A woman stood staring at a map attached to the wall. She was quite lovely with crimson red hair and an angular face. Her eyes were beautiful, glowing emerald even in the dim light, the same color as her combat armor.

"Reilly," Jaeko said announcing their presence. She didn't turn from the map.

"Jaeko."

"How's it going?"

"Well I'm a hundred-thousand caps poorer if that's what you mean."

"You didn't lose the caps. You just never won 'em."

"That's the same in my book."

"Well my sincerest apologies."

"Don't use those big words like your some honcho Scribe from the Brotherhood. You know I hate that," Reilly said. She turned, leaning against the nearby wall and taking a sip from a steaming mug of coffee. "What are you doing here, Jaeko?"

"I need to ask you some things. _We _need to ask you some things," Jaeko said bringing Lucy forward. "Reilly, this is Lucy West from –"

"Megaton," Reilly interjected. "The Lone Wanderer's mentioned you."

"Me?" Lucy asked shaking her hand.

"Yeah. The Lone Wanderer would stop by every couple weeks, throw us some jobs here and there he'd picked up. We'd stay up late talking shop, telling stories. He told us about finding your family butchered by those raiders. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I didn't know the Lone Wanderer was so . . ." She searched for the word.

"Not alone," Reilly offered. Lucy nodded. "Yeah he's got more friends than people realize. Jaeko here could take a lesson instead of being such a hard case."

"I know what you mean," Lucy said looking over at him. Jaeko regarded both of them with a cold stare. Their earlier conversation at GNR had left a boiling in both their stomachs and Lucy wasn't forgetting it anytime soon.

"I'll worry about my social prowess later," Jaeko said.

"There you are with those big words again," Reilly replied. She led them over to a nearby table and they took a seat around it. Butcher walked in, nodding silently to Jaeko. He entered into his and Reilly's shared bedroom and closed the door behind him. Reilly simply rolled her eyes and Jaeko's brow rose high upon his forehead.

"I need to ask you about the night the Lone Wanderer came to visit you," Jaeko said evenly.

"Why?"

"We're looking for him," Lucy said. Reilly's eyes shot in her direction. "He's in danger."

"Kid, this is the Capital Wasteland. Everyone's in danger."

"He's in _real _danger," Jaeko said. "Mister Burke is after him."

"I know," Reilly said evenly.

"What?" Jaeko asked.

"You know?" Lucy inquired as well.

"Yeah, the Lone Wanderer came to me a couple weeks back. Said Mister Burke was back in town and was looking to settle the score. Told me I needed to shut down my geo mapping contract if he wanted to be able to stop Burke. Of course, I did it. Especially since he was willing to pay me the difference for the locations I hadn't found yet."

"Holy shit," Jaeko muttered. That was a lot of caps.

"Yeah. So I sent a message to my employer, said the contract was over. I never got a response, but I know they got it."

"You mean you've never met who hired you."

"Nope. A courier showed up one day, said he had a job from an anonymous contractor. Had ten-thousand caps for me if all I did was accept the contract, and another hundred for each location discovered. Gave me an IP address I could use if I could get one of the old terminals hooked back up to the SatCom network. It's still up and running, you know? The bombs didn't completely knock it out. We only use ham radios because only a few high-powered computers can handle the load. Anyways, I quit the contract. The money stopped showing up and we've been trying to find other work for a while now."

"So just like that, the Lone Wanderer shows up and you shut down the most profitable contract you've ever had?" Jaeko asked. He could hardly believe his ears.

"It's called loyalty, Jaeko. He saved my life. I'm just returning the favor. I'm sure if Stamp showed up asking you to quit a mission you'd do it in a heartbeat." Jaeko nodded. She was right. He'd never betray Stamp, not even if it meant his own life. It seemed strange that Lucy felt that way about the Lone Wanderer as well. He truly was a messiah in their eyes and they'd do anything to protect him, even sending a lucrative contract into the dirt. Reilly continued. "Look, if the Lone Wanderer has gone to ground, you're not going to find him. No matter how dangerous Burke is, the Lone Wanderer obviously has a plan, and you searching for him may only mess it up. Do yourselves a favor – stay away. Let him handle it."

This time it was Lucy who spoke up. "He may not be able to this time."

Her eyes twitched toward Jaeko, but Reilly didn't notice. Jaeko, however, did.

* * *

After their conversation with Reilly, Lucy elected to stay below and talk to the mercenary leader. Brick joined them as well and Lucy recounted everything that had happened since leaving Megaton. She laughed and joked, though the pain was still present in her eyes, especially when she got to the part about almost being raped. Brick and Reilly made her feel better about it, though, and she was soon back in good spirits. After an hour or so, she ventured back out into the compound. One of the more seasoned mercs had just returned with a batch of recruits – they had just taken down their first squad of super mutants and looked to be more than a little shaken from the experience – and Butcher was putting several trainees through various medical drills. Only a few lounged by their cots and Brick soon had them back up, putting them through callisthenic drills and such. Lucy found Jaeko over on the far side of the compound. He and Donovan were standing several yards away from an old fashioned red and white target. Jaeko threw a knife at it and the blade embedded itself several inches from the center.

"I think you've gotten soft on me, Jaeko," Donovan said smiling. Jaeko shoved him backward and the Ranger stepped up, a knife held ready in his own hands. He threw it at the target and it landed a hair closer than Jaeko's. He explained, "It's all in the wrist."

"Please, when's the last time you were in a _real_ fight, Don?" Jaeko said, though his tone betrayed his sarcasm. "You and I both know a throwing knife won't do nearly as much damage as a bullet."

"Fine, let's not use throwing knives then. Let's use something else." Donovan walked over to one of the nearby lockers, throwing it open and pulling out two fat-tipped machetes. He walked back over, neither of them noticing Lucy's presence. She stood peeking around the corner.

"You've got to be kidding me," Jaeko said as Donovan held out the machete. At the Ranger's sideways smile Jaeko snatched it out of his hand and aimed carefully. The balance was completely wrong, the handle way too heavy, but he tried anyway. A moment later, the blunt end of the blade pinged off the target and it fell to the ground. Donovan laughed hysterically. "Alright, smartass, you try then."

Donovan stepped up, carefully holding the blade at the tip. He threw it a moment later and it too hit with the wrong end of the blade and fell to the dirt. Jaeko stared at him, his eyebrows high upon his forehead, and his hands resting comfortably on his hips. Donovan didn't respond.

Lucy walked out then, clapping slowly. Both men's eyes snapped over in her direction and she smiled brightly.

"I'm very impressed, guys," she said.

"Yeah, yeah," Donovan replied. "I'd like to see you try."

"I'm okay. I _know_ I can't do it."

Donovan rolled his eyes, pointing over at her. "You better watch out with this one, Sarge. She's a pistol."

The corners of Jaeko's mouth twitched upward. "I noticed."

Lucy smiled back. The compound seemed to be suiting her well. She looked noticeably brighter across the eyes and she had washed the dust and dirt from her face and hair. She had also unzipped the leather armor a bit, allowing air to flow across her impressive cleavage. Reilly had ordered her to be "proud of what she had". Until she got in a battle. Then zip it right back up. Lucy had decided to follow her advice, even if it was just to torment Jaeko. She'd get him back for how he'd acted at GNR and, sooner or later, he'd answer her question.

"I take it we're holding up here for the night," Lucy said pointing up at the setting sun. Its orange and yellow tendrils were quickly being replaced by the black and blue foreshadowing of the night sky.

"Yeah, Reilly's loaning us out the old barracks. Says _you _have night shift perimeter sweeps," he said looking at Donovan. The Ranger noticeably sagged toward the ground.

"Shit. It is my rotation. Damn. I hate you sometimes, Jaeko."

"I hate you all the time, Donovan."

The Ranger laughed, grabbing the two machetes and throwing knives from the target. He deposited them back in the locker and headed for the sandbag line, shouldering his rifle. He grabbed a recruit and they headed out for a patrol.

"You guys are friends," Lucy said as they watched Donovan disappear from sight.

"Yep. We all are."

"I didn't know you had friends."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jaeko asked.

"You just don't seem like the sociable type."

"Yeah well a lot of what I do is often misinterpreted," Jaeko said. He walked past her, heading toward the sublevel. She knew exactly what that meant. It was a low blow, one she felt all the way down to her core. Maybe she _had_ been the wrong one.

Brick grabbed a spare box of ammunition for her chain gun as Jaeko walked in. She nodded to him.

"Sorry about putting you out, Brick."

"Don't worry about it. Gives me a chance to keep a closer eye on the recruits. Plus, I can't be getting soft getting used to sleeping me in my own bed every night. We've got a job coming up sooner or later and I need to stay sharp," she responded heading out the door.

"I wish I had your optimism," Jaeko muttered. Lucy walked in a moment later, closing the door behind her. There were three beds as well as several lockers. Jaeko had already dumped his rucksack in the corner, pulling off his jacket. She did the same, depositing her gear beside his.

"There's a bucket in the corner if you can't make it outside. Just make sure you wash it in the morning," Jaeko said.

"What am I, pregnant?" Lucy asked.

Jaeko gave her a look and she nodded her understanding. She unzipped her leather armor, peeling the jacket off. The thin tank top, matted with a layer of sweat, barely concealed her breasts and midriff, and Jaeko did his best not to stare. Lucy caught his dodging gaze and smiled inwardly. As Jaeko yanked off his boots one at a time, rubbing his calloused heels, Lucy slowly pulled down her pants. She wore a set of grey underwear beneath, but Jaeko still had to fight not to stare. Laying down on the cot slowly, she pulled the blanket up to her chest, rolling onto her side.

Jaeko rubbed tired eyes, an internal war raging within. On one end, he had Kara and Mister Burke, taunting him every time he closed his eyes. On the other, however, he had Lucy. She was so beautiful and she'd already tried to make a move once. Now, she was practically begging him to get into bed with her.

Running a hand across his scalp, he dropped his own pants to the ground.

Lucy laid there, her eyes closed but not really sleeping. She heard Jaeko drop his pants to the ground and felt a small glimmer of hope. Was he finally going to let her in? Was he finally going to get past whatever had occurred at the Super-Duper Mart and allow them to be more than friends? Then she heard him peel the blanket back on his own cot and get into bed. The hope was extinguished almost as quickly as it had begun. She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter and prayed desperately for sleep to take her.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"So you realize we learned nothing we didn't already know, right?" Lucy asked as they packed up the next morning. She zipped her leather armor back up and pulled her hair back into its usual ponytail. "We're no closer to finding the Lone Wanderer."

"Not really. We did learn Moriarty isn't _completely_ full of crap. His story was true about the geo mapping, and everything else has been so far as well. We also learned Reilly's employer could be anyone. Hell, it could be Burke for all we know."

"You think?"

"Why else would the Lone Wanderer want her to shut it down? Maybe Burke was using it as a way to track him. The point is, we don't know who hired her. I think after we visit the Brotherhood we should hit the SatCom array. If the network really is still up and running we may be able to hack in and get a trace using one of the computers there. Find out who hired her or at least a general idea of where they're at."

"If Burke's watching, won't that tip him off that we're onto him?"

"I think Burke just wants us to find the Lone Wanderer and I think he's willing to trust any lead we find."

"I hope so." Before Jaeko could respond a knock came at the door.

"Breakfast," Donovan called from the other side. He tromped back up the stairs, his stomach growling from being out on patrol all night.

"Thanks," Jaeko yelled back.

"Come on," Lucy said patting him on the chest as she grabbed her laser pistol and secured it to her hip. "Let's get some food. After that, we can try sorting this all out."

Jaeko followed her out and they joined Reilly and the rest of the Rangers at the long, outdoor table. The veterans – Reilly, Butcher, Donovan, and Brick – were served their food first by the newest recruits. After that the bowl of porridge and grits was passed around to everyone else. Jaeko took his share, smelling the gruel cautiously. Lucy nudged him hard and he pushed a spoonful into his mouth. It turned out to not be as bad as he expected and he ate it with much less remorse after that.

A few Rangers ate from the sandbags, everyone else talking quietly and enjoying the cool morning breeze before the unforgiving blaze set in. Reilly eyed Jaeko cautiously from the head of the table. She knew there was more going on than the pair was letting on. They weren't just looking for the Lone Wanderer. There was . . . something else. She just wasn't sure what. As Jaeko and Lucy gathered their belongings, slinging their packs and preparing to head out, Reilly stole Jaeko aside for a quiet word.

"I'm not stupid, Jaeko," she said once they were out of earshot. The recruits cleaned up the various dishes from the table, washing them off in a large tin tub near the shower stall.

"What are you talking about?" he asked glancing over at her.

"I know there's something you're not telling me and I also know you're going to keep looking for the Lone Wanderer despite what I told you. So let me just say this: if you get him killed or hurt in any way because of this damn foolhardy mission of yours, I'll make sure the entire Capital Wasteland knows you're responsible, and no one will hire the Screaming Coyotes. I hope we understand each other."

Jaeko stared at her for a long moment. Finally, he extended his hand, and she shook it tentatively. He squeezed tight and pulled her in close, however. "Don't be ugly, Reilly. It doesn't suit you. And don't ever threaten me again. We're friends. Let's keep it that way."

He released her hand, extending a nod out to the rest of the Rangers and heading out. He and Donovan shook hands one last time before they finally turned the corner, departing the compound. When they were out of earshot approaching the nearby metro station, Lucy turned to him.

"What was that all about?" she asked.

"What?"

"With Reilly. Back there." She motioned over her shoulder toward the Ranger compound.

"Just making sure we understand each other," Jaeko said. He turned toward the waiting metro station. "On both sides of the fence."

* * *

They dispatched a dozen Feral ghouls on their way toward the Citadel, cutting through the metro tunnels and avoiding the surface as much as possible. More than once, as they made their way through the desolate and gloomy subway channels, Jaeko felt as if they were being followed. It was the first time he had felt that way since setting out from Rivet City. He didn't say anything until they approached a junction of four passageways, at which point he grabbed Lucy and pinned her to the nearby wall, holding his finger over her mouth for silence. She nodded, drawing her laser pistol and standing completely still.

Jaeko clicked off the flashlight they'd been using and sank into the darkness. He found a small alcove near a crashed rail car, disappeared inside. Several seconds ticked past. Then, just as Jaeko began to wonder if he was simply being paranoid, two shadows approached from the way they'd came. They walked at a steady pace, not hobbling like a Feral would, and they carried rifles. Jaeko made sure the safety was off on his pistol as they approached. They scanned the darkness, neither speaking. They were searching.

Jaeko couldn't make out any details in the gloom. He waited until they were past, then stepped out onto the tracks. He leveled the pistol.

"Don't turn around," he ordered. The two men froze. "Get your hands up. Who are you? Why are you following us?"

"We're keeping an eye on you," the one on the right said calmly. Both slowly raised their hands over their heads. "Making sure you don't do anything stupid."

"So Burke _is_ having us followed," Jaeko surmised. The one on the left chuckled, however.

"We don't work for that wretched excuse for a man. We're not so nefarious we can simply be bought by a handful of caps." Both men screamed articulation. Jaeko also noticed their coats stretched down to their knees. His eyes widened.

"You're Regulators," he said.

"That we are."

"Justicars of the wasteland," the other affirmed.

"And we're here to make sure you don't get the Lone Wanderer killed."

"How long have you been following us?" Jaeko asked. He kept the gun leveled.

"Long enough to know there's four Talon Company mercs about a quarter-mile back. They're keeping their distance, though."

"And you weren't?"

"Do you really think we'd have been noticed if we didn't want to be?" the one on the left asked. He had a deep southern drawl – a lot like their leader, Sonora Cruz.

"I don't know. Did you intend to have a gun leveled on your backs?"

"Did you?" the other asked simply. Jaeko suddenly felt a gun press firmly into his spine. It was a rifle judging by the feel of it. Plus, its owner was a good three feet away estimating by her voice.

"If you wouldn't mind taking the gun off my two partners," the woman said. Jaeko gritted his teeth. Lucy suddenly came out from her hiding spot, aiming the laser pistol at the two men. The gun pressed harder into Jaeko's back.

"Lucy, no," he said shaking his head. "They're friends."

"Then why does she have a gun in your back?"

"Just a disagreement," Jaeko said. He slowly lowered his pistol. He waved for Lucy to do the same and, after a few tentative moments, she complied. The rifle retracted from Jaeko's back. Slowly, he turned toward its owner. He couldn't help but chuckle. "I should've know. How have you been, Cruz?"

Sonora Cruz, leader of the Regulator order, lowered her rifle. "I've been alright. Better when I don't have to chase down good men doing work for bad people."

Jaeko sighed. "I take it you know what's really going on, then."

Cruz nodded. Her two companions joined her, standing on either side. "The wasteland is too small a place for someone such as Mister Burke to sneak in and out of without getting noticed. We have eyes and ears all over D.C. We can't afford not to know what's going on."

"That and I'm betting the Lone Wanderer sent you guys a message."

"He did – in the form of a tall Ghoul. We almost shot it when it came to our HQ, its face shadowed by a long black hood. He never gave us his name, but he showed up with the Lone Wanderer's duster and said he had a message. We were to monitor the wasteland for any signs of someone on his trail. I sent word far and wide. It didn't take long for the first echoes to reach my doorstep. The first came right after you took down the behemoth. Someone had enquired about your skills as a tracker. Then, muscle was hired up all over the wasteland. Talon Company," Cruz said motioning to the tunnel behind her. "Wasteland thugs, even some raiders. I heard you had an encounter with one back in Megaton. Tried to blow his head off with a shotgun. I'd be careful. Raiders, even those retired, aren't exactly the forgiving kind."

"I've noticed," Jaeko said thinking about the Super-Duper Mart. He fought back a shudder. "So the Lone Wanderer wants you to watch out for anyone who might be hired to find him. And what, kill them?"

"Please, we only kill the evil. That's why the Lone Wanderer brought this mission to us. He knew he could trust our judgment, our moral principles. It is why you are still alive, Sergeant Jaeko. You have not yet done anything to bring down our wrath."

"You mean the wrath where you cut off people's fingers," Jaeko said quietly.

"It keeps the wasteland aware of our presence, gives people the knowledge there is still a such thing as justice out there."

"Right. So what then? You're just watching me? Why show yourselves now?"

"Because you are getting close to a place you do not want to be?"

"What, the truth? Finding out where the Lone Wanderer is? If he knows all this is going on, if he has so many friends, why doesn't he just let Burke find him and kill him himself?"

"There are things you're not aware of, Sergeant Jaeko. All I can say is if you continue down this path you will find yourself in a place you do not want to be," Sonora Cruz said.

"And what place is that?"

"The place where you will finally have to choose."

"Choose what?"

"A side."

"Well, I don't know if you realize this, Sonora, but my side has already been chosen for me. Burke didn't give me much of a choice and, knowing him, he's probably heard every word we've said."

"Trust me, Jaeko, this is the one conversation you've had he has not heard. I promise you that." A fourth Regulator suddenly appeared beside her. He carried a long combat knife, his face painted black with charcoal.

"The shadow's been taken care of," he said. "I do suggest we move soon, though, Mistress Cruz. The Talon mercs are getting close."

"As I said, Sergeant Jaeko, our conversation here is secret." She rested her hand on the Regulator's shoulder as he sheathed the combat knife slowly. He simply blinked at Jaeko.

"So what do we do now?" Lucy asked finally giving voice to the conversation.

"Stop looking."

"I can't do that, Sonora," Jaeko said. The four Regulators treaded off into the darkness. Sonora called over her shoulder just before disappearing entirely.

"Then I hope you choose correctly when the time comes. For all of our sakes." They were gone a moment later.

Several moments passed. Then, Jaeko pulled Lucy along and they changed directions, heading in the opposite way they intended. It would take them longer to reach the Citadel, but hopefully the Talon Company mercenaries would get confused and follow the Regulators instead. He doubted it, though. Something told him Burke had been preparing for this moment for some time and only the best had been selected for this particular assignment. Still, they moved swiftly, changing tunnels and dodging Feral Ghouls as best they could. When they finally reached a small maintenance tunnel, Jaeko halted them, locking the doors on either side.

"Well, one thing's for sure," Jaeko said lowly.

"What's that?" Lucy asked.

"Your boyfriend's not on any fuckin' vacation. He's been playing me since the start. He's known about this since before I did. I'm not hunting him. I'm just a damn pawn." He struggled not to lose his temper, but couldn't help himself, kicking over a nearby canister of turpentine.

"He obviously doesn't know everything," Lucy said.

"What do you mean? You heard the Regulators."

"He doesn't know I'm along. If he did, the Regulators would've been told to take me out of harm's way. The Lone Wanderer's way too chivalrous to let me stay on this little quest. That still leaves open the question of what we're going to do now, though."

"Well it's obvious the Lone Wanderer is waiting for something," Jaeko said. He slumped against the nearby wall, thinking. "If he wasn't, he never would've told the Regulators to watch out for me. He'd just go right after Burke. But what is he waiting for? And where the hell is he hiding?"

"If we knew that this whole thing would be a lot simpler," Lucy said. Jaeko looked over at her sharply. She smiled and he realized exactly what she was doing. She was keeping him on track, not allowing his mind to go in circles with hypothetical scenarios. He sighed heavily.

"No matter what, Burke will kill me if I stop looking. We know that. So I don't really see much other choice. The Regulators told me to stop looking for my own sake, because I'd have to choose sides eventually, not because they'd kill me if I didn't. I say we keep going."

Lucy nodded. "I agree. This is becoming less and less about protecting the Lone Wanderer and more and more about just getting you out of this alive."

Jaeko chuckled. "I appreciate the sentiment. We've learned something else, though."

Lucy looked up at him, to which he responded, "Sheriff Simms knew more than he let on. What do you say to a little pit-stop back in Megaton before we hit the SatCom?"

Lucy simply smiled.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_And so the plot thickens. _

_Sorry, just wanted to say that. To those of you who are reading and have yet to review, please take the ten seconds it requires and review. To those of you who have reviewed or continue to review, thank you so much. For me, this story is quickly turning into an addiction, and it is aided by your comments, critiques, concerns, and overall input. _

_So, now the Regulators have entered into the mix and Jaeko knows this is no longer a simple game of finding the Lone Wanderer. Something far more mysterious is going on and it seems more people are involved than Jaeko previously realized. Look for the next update as they continue their search for answers. _

_Until next time, have a magnificent wasteland day. _


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Jaeko and Lucy arrived at the Citadel's front gates well after nightfall. The moon shone brightly across the blackened sky, illuminating the path ahead as they dodged a multitude of super mutants, Feral Ghouls, and raider parties. Floodlights were positioned at the outer gate, blinding any who dared approach. Two heavily-armed Brotherhood soldiers and a pair of Mark VII sentry bots stood guard outside, at least another dozen of their brethren patrolling the surrounding area. There were also two separate sniper posts watching the entrance from afar and over a hundred well-trained, well-armed soldiers waiting inside. In short, no one was getting in who wasn't welcome. As they watched from a distance, Jaeko wondered just how welcome _they_ would be.

He hadn't exactly made friends with any of the Lyons' Pride who had helped defend the behemoth, and that Scribe – Rothchild – certainly wasn't his biggest fan. Still, he had to know someone who could get them inside. Sarah Lyons was the next missing puzzle piece. If they could dig something up on her she might just lead them to the Lone Wanderer.

"Maybe we should just ask if they'll let us in," Lucy offered. Jaeko gave her a hard look and she closed her mouth.

There was no way they'd be able to sneak past. He knew that already – way too much security. Plus, he didn't exactly want to make an enemy out of the Brotherhood. They were pretty much the strongest entity in the Capital Wasteland.

As he continued surveying the front gate's defenses, a thought slowly worked its way into his mind, and he turned to Lucy.

"Come on," he said with a nod toward the entrance. Rising from their concealed position he approached the heavy front gate, whispering quietly beneath his breath. "Follow my lead and make sure you keep your hands in sight. These Brotherhood boys get jumpy after dark."

"Deep inside the D.C. ruins surrounded by hordes of super mutants and raiders. Gee, I wonder why," Lucy said following close behind. Jaeko merely kept walking, the idea still forming in his head.

When they were within a dozen yards or so the Brotherhood soldiers halted them. The sentry bots powered up, their laser cannons humming to life. Jaeko spread his hands out to his sides, Lucy mimicking his actions.

"Stop right there!" one of the troopers ordered. He spoke into his helmet for a moment. "Two outsiders at the gate. Repeat, two outsiders at the gate."

"I need to speak to Elder Lyons," Jaeko called out. He spread his fingers wide, his eyes glued to the two sentry bots. Their automated defenses were known to be a tad jumpy and he didn't want to give them any excuse to light him up.

"You are in restricted territory."

"I know. I need to speak to Elder Lyons. It's important," Jaeko repeated.

"Not possible. Turn around and go back the way you came immediately or we will vacate you forcefully."

"Tell him Sergeant Jaeko Reid is here to see him. He knows me. I don't know if you heard – I'm the guy that took down that behemoth you have sitting in your lab," he replied. Lucy looked at him worriedly. What was he doing?

"I don't care who you are. No travel after nightfall. This is Brotherhood-controlled territory. Turn around and go back the way you came." His chain gun rose steadily until it was level with Jaeko's chest.

"I have information he needs to hear."

"Come on, Jaeko," Lucy said tugging on his arm. She glanced over at the sentry bots. Their cannons were glowing red, charging up. "We'll try back in the morning."

"It won't matter," he muttered. "They don't let outsiders in."

"So let's just go then," Lucy said tugging even harder. "We'll try the SatCom array, Megaton."

"No," Jaeko said so only she could hear. "Sarah Lyons is our next clue. I'm not going to let Burke kill me because some Brotherhood prick wouldn't let us inside."

"Vacate the area at once!" the soldier yelled, not hearing their quiet conversation.

Jaeko turned back to the two Paladins, both of their weapons aimed at his chest, their fingers on the triggers. He yelled harshly, "It's about his daughter!"

The sentries froze, staring at him. After a moment, they waved the sentry bots back, the robots' cannons dropping toward the ground.

"What did you just say?" the one on the left asked. He hadn't spoken before and, judging by the engravings on his shoulder guards, appeared to be the one in charge.

"I have information," Jaeko repeated. "About his daughter."

The trooper stood stock still for several long moments. Jaeko barely breathed. Then, he activated the radio in his helmet, speaking quietly into it.

"This is Bael. I've got someone at the front gate – Jaeko Reid. He says he has information about Sentinel Lyons." A response came from the other end, Bael listening intently, though Jaeko and Lucy couldn't hear. Finally, he looked back up at the pair, his expression hidden behind the tinted lenses of his power armor helmet. He said simply, "Elder Lyons will see you. Standby."

Slowly, the gate rose behind him, groaning upon its rusted and ancient tracks. He waved them forward and they were finally granted access to the Citadel. As the gate closed behind them Jaeko prayed to God he was making the right decision. He was playing this really close to the chest.

* * *

Elder Lyons sat in his room listening to GNR. The radio station played a quiet tune meant to put him to sleep. All it did, however, was remind him of his late wife.

Roseanna had been the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. They had met right after the Navarro Offensive, she a doctor from the Los Angeles Boneyard and he a young Knight in the Brotherhood of Steel. He still remembered exactly how she'd looked that day – covered in dust and gunpowder, her hair light as the sun, and eyes blue as the ocean. Sarah took after her in that regard.

Sarah . . .

Not for the first time tonight he thought of her. Where she had gone. What she might be doing. Above all, he just prayed she was alright. Rothchild was correct. If she was with the Lone Wanderer, she was probably safe, but he just couldn't shake the feeling something was terribly wrong. So when the call came through that there were two outsiders at the front gate, claiming to have information about her, he gave the order swiftly to let them in. Dawning his robes and clicking off the radio, he headed out into the hallway. Paladin Tristan joined him. He had known Sarah since she was just a child, having come over on the eastern expedition with them, and he shared his discomfort about Sarah's unknown whereabouts. She was like a little sister to him and he wanted to know just as badly if she was okay.

The pair walked in silence, cutting through the hallways at a swift pace. Lyons' stomach was a mixture of tremors and nuclear explosions. It _had_ to be good news. Who would come at two in the morning to deliver bad news? As they neared the Great Hall he hoped his logic was sound.

They rounded the final corner and Knight Artemis, the nighttime patrol supervisor, walked up.

"Sir, they've been disarmed and are awaiting your word inside," he said.

"Thank you, Artemis. Who are they? Wastelanders?"

"One is Jaeko Reid, the man who took down the –"

"Behemoth," Elder Lyons filled in. Artemis nodded. "Interesting. And the other?"

"The other is a woman we're not familiar with. She appears to be a civilian. We don't see any markings tying her to any factions, at least. They've both been disarmed."

A table on the far wall was loaded with a multitude of weaponry. Elder Lyons stared at it for a long moment. They had obviously traveled a long way to require such ordnance. Maybe they had found her. Maybe she required an airlift and that's why she wasn't with them. A dozen different scenarios played through his head before Paladin Tristan's hand suddenly rested on his shoulder, urging him inside. Lyons looked over at him and nodded solemnly. Good or bad, he would find out tonight what had happened to Sarah.

Turning the doorknob and entering into the Great Hall, however, he realized just how false that was. Jaeko's eyes said it all. He sat at the end of the table, his female companion resting in the chair beside him. Both looked to have been through a meat grinder, a patchwork of cuts, bruises, and burn marks covering their flesh. Sergeant Jaeko was especially bad, his eyes blackened and a cut running the length of his cheek. Lyons turned to Paladin Tristan.

"Joshua, would you mind giving us a few minutes alone?" he asked.

"Sir, are you sure that's wise?" he asked regarding the two outsiders with a suspicious stare.

"I'll be quite alright. Something tells me what I'm about to hear is for my ears only." Tristan looked from him to the two outsiders. Finally, he nodded, and headed back outside to wait with Knight Artemis. Lyons turned back to Jaeko and Lucy. "You don't have any information about my daughter, do you?"

Jaeko sighed. "You're going to hate me. No, I don't. How did you know?"

Lyons chuckled solemnly. It was the pitiful attempt of a beaten man. "Young man, I have traveled the wasteland for far too many years to not be able to recognize a pair of lying eyes. Especially when they are guests in my own home."

"I'm sorry. It was the only way I could get them to let me in." Jaeko stood, walking out from behind the table.

"What is so important you had to lie about the one thing I still care about?"

"The Lone Wanderer," he answered simply. "We're trying to find him."

"He is on a mission -"

"I know. That's why we're here. We know your daughter is with him and we think she might have left behind a clue as to where they went."

"What makes you think that?"

"A hunch." Jaeko's eyes settled on his own and Lyons saw he wasn't lying this time.

"I'm sorry to say, but Sarah left behind no such clue. All she told me when she left was they were heading north. That could mean anywhere. Why is it so important you find the Lone Wanderer?"

"He's in danger," Lucy said. Lyons' eyes snapped over in her direction.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" he asked.

"Lucy West," she said standing up. She extended her hand outward. "From Megaton. I'm sorry for lying. We just had to see you."

"Thank you," Lyons said shaking her hand. The sadness in his eyes remained, however. "I assure you both, though, whatever danger the Lone Wanderer is in he is quite capable of handling it."

"He might be, but is you daughter?" Jaeko asked. Lyons looked over at him. "Pure evil is after him right now, but there's more than just the Lone Wanderer's life at stake right now. You know it's true. I heard what happened to Sarah last time she teamed up with him –"

"Don't assume you know everything, Sergeant Jaeko. The Lone Wanderer will look after her. I have faith in him."

"With all due respect, Elder, now who's lying? I heard what you said to Scribe Rothchild that day we captured the behemoth. You're scared for her and you're not sure if he can keep her safe. I _know _he can't. I've seen what's after him."

"And what exactly is after him?" Elder Lyons asked.

"A man worse than any horde of super mutants, a man even President Eden would've feared – Mister Burke."

"I've heard whisperings of his name."

"They're all true. He is worse than any raider, any mercenary ever pitted against the Lone Wanderer before, and if it aids him in any way he won't hesitate to kill Sarah. Look into my eyes, Elder Lyons. You know I'm not lying."

"I don't doubt the truth in your words, Sergeant. It's merely the motive. Why come to me? What do you get out of this if you find the Lone Wanderer?"

"My life. If I don't find him I'm as good as dead."

"I don't understand."

"And you won't. Not until this is all over. Maybe then. But what you do need to understand is if we don't find him, your daughter is as good as dead, too."

Elder Lyons stared at him for several long moments, reaching deep into his soul in an attempt to garner some shred of the truth. Just what was his endgame? Elder Lyons wondered. How had he become involved and could it be true what he said about Sarah? The pleading look in Jaeko's eyes said it to be the truth. He sighed heavily.

"What do you need?"

"For starters, we need to restock and resupply. Not to mention a stop by your clinic."

"This is not a refugee camp, but I will speak to Knight Captain Durga about allowing you to purchase some equipment from our personal armory. I'll also talk to our limited medical staff and let them know you're coming. What else?"

"Access to Sarah's room and personal computer terminal plus the core mainframe."

"The first two I can do. The mainframe, however, is not an option." Jaeko nodded and Elder Lyons headed for the door. "Knight Artemis will be your liaison. He'll be at your side at all times. Is that understood?"

"Got it."

"You have twenty-four hours. Find my daughter and get her back here, Sergeant Jaeko. I will not lose her."

Jaeko nodded. With that, Lyons opened the door and walked back out, not nearly as satisfied with the meeting as he had originally hoped. He briefed Artemis and headed back for his room, explaining the details of the meeting to Paladin Tristan as they walked. He was not pleased.

Back inside the room, Lucy regarded Jaeko with a long, lingering gaze. He turned to her. "What?"

Lucy shook her head, looking toward the floor. "I'm just wondering if either of us are going to have souls after all this is over."

Jaeko didn't respond.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Sleep was met with some difficulty that night. Nestled in with the new recruits and initiates on the outskirts of the bailey, Jaeko never felt more closed off from the world. The huge, concrete walls of the Citadel were like a cage, and he its prisoner. He tossed and turned in his bunk all night long, the saddened and defeated look of Elder Lyons' eyes haunting his dreams. Lucy was right. Once this was all over, would they have souls? Would he even want to keep living if it meant sacrificing his humanity?

As the moon sank toward the horizon, Jaeko ignored Knight Artemis' earlier warning to "stay put" and rose from his bunk, descending the concrete steps toward the training grounds below. Only a few Brotherhood soldiers patrolled the area and they regarded him with a cold indifference. Thrusting his hands into his pockets, Jaeko stared up toward the sky, a deep exhale of breath escaping his lungs. Here he was – one man against the world – and he wasn't even sure if he wanted to keep fighting.

Closing his eyes, his mind drifted across the wasteland. It flew in and out of the clouds, dropping in on Megaton and the first time he'd stepped foot in its cratered existence, across old Highway 50 to Grayditch before the fire ants took over, and finally to his father's burial site – on the bank of the Potomac just north of Rivet City. His father wouldn't have quit. That was for damn sure. He would've kept fighting until every last bone in his body was broken, every ligament torn. He would've kept fighting until Mister Burke lay in his own grave.

His hands slowly balling into fists within his jacket pockets, Jaeko knew right then and there he wouldn't stop looking for the Lone Wanderer, he wouldn't stop fighting, until either he or Mister Burke lay dead in the ground.

Just then, Lucy walked up behind him, her arms wrapping around his shoulders and her head falling against his collar. She didn't say anything. They just stood there and together, breathing almost in sync, watched the sun slowly rise.

It wasn't long before the morning siren wailed across the mist-ridden courtyard, waking the recruits for their daily training exercises. Paladins and Knights headed out for their patrols, initiates practiced their marksmanship skills and jogged around the bailey, and purified water jugs were loaded into wooden carts for disbursement.

Knight Artemis strode up, his mouth turned downward in a near-permanent frown. "I thought I told you to stay put until I came to get you. Just because Elder Lyons said you could be here doesn't mean I have to like it. While you're here you follow my rules."

"Whatever you say, boss," Jaeko said. Lucy nudged him in the ribs.

"Do you think we could get some breakfast before we start?" she asked, her lips curving upward in a friendly smile. Knight Artemis, however, seemed immune to her charms.

"You want to eat, go right ahead. I'm sure you brought some food with you," he said. Jaeko glared, taking a step forward, but Lucy stopped him. She shook her head and, with his fists shaking, Jaeko relented. They retrieved their packs and tore off a chunk of preserved Brahmin meat for each of them. They chewed in silence while Artemis talked to the Paladin in charge of training. When they looked over at Jaeko and Lucy, crouched atop their packs eating the dried meat, both laughed, boiling Jaeko's blood even further.

"Self-righteous pricks," he muttered.

"Don't let them get to you. We're here to get information on Sentinel Lyons. That's it," Lucy said. She finished the last of her Brahmin meat and stood, brushing off her legs. Jaeko forced the last of his down and stood as well.

"It just pisses me off. They think they're so much better than the rest of us because they have some shiny armor and a couple Vertibirds."

"Well, they're shiny armor and Vertibirds did get purified water across the wasteland," she said. Jaeko glanced over at her and couldn't help but snort. She smiled. "What?"

"You mean the great messiah actually had help?" As he turned and waved toward Knight Artemis, Lucy's smile fell. For whatever reason, Jaeko really did resent the Lone Wanderer, even if he wasn't willing to admit it. Sighing, Lucy put the conversation away for later.

Together, the trio made their way over to the medical clinic. Two doctors were present when they arrived as well as a modified Mister Gutsy robot affectionately named Sawbones. Artemis waited outside while the doctors saw to Jaeko and Lucy's various wounds. A curtain separated them and soon Jaeko was stripped down to little more than his undergarments. The doctor, an overly enthusiastic man named Alex Dargon, disinfected and stitched up several gashes across Jaeko's arms and midsection. He also applied a protective ointment, speaking excitedly the entire time. As he finished up with the last stitch, tying the thread into a knot and snipping off the excess, Jaeko beckoned him in close for a quiet word.

"There's . . . something else I need you to look at, doc." He glanced downward. After a brief moment of confusion Dargon came to understand, nodding silently. After a quick glance at the curtain, Jaeko dropped his underwear to the ground. Dargon clicked on a tiny flashlight and silently inspected Jaeko's member. His head snapped back up a moment later.

"Are those . . . bite marks?" he asked hesitantly. Jaeko merely nodded, the image of Kara's lips closing around him still sending a chill up his spine. "I can get some disinfectant, but you really need to take it easy for a while. That's a dangerous place to get injured. Infection is very common down there. Just what happened to you?"

Jaeko didn't respond and Dargon dropped it. Flashing a reassuring smile he patted Jaeko on the shoulder before grabbing a bottle of disinfectant. Jaeko bit back a scream as the burning liquid hit his crotch. It fizzed and bubbled for several moments, cleaning out the dirt, before he was finally allowed to pull his pants back up. When they were both fully clothed the curtain was pulled back aside and a much healthier, much happier Lucy greeted him. Jaeko managed a minute nod in return, his legs practically shaking beneath him.

"You okay?" she asked. As her hand fell upon his shoulder he flinched away.

"Yeah. Fine. Let's go check out Sarah's room," he said ushering her out. Lucy nodded, though concern was etched across her eyes. What was going on with him?

Artemis led them through the ring toward Sarah's private quarters. The door was locked and he had to input a code to grant them access. Jaeko gave the heavens a tiny nod of gratitude. They might actually find something if the room had been left relatively untouched. The door opened with an audible hiss of air and they stepped inside. It was much cooler inside, like they had entered into an entirely different climate, and a shudder racked Jaeko's body. The bed was made, files were stacked atop her desk – scouting reports and water distribution records – and a framed picture of Sarah and her father sat upon the bedside table. Jaeko walked in slowly, taking the details in one at a time. Lucy and Artemis watched him silently. He leafed through the various files and sheets, but nothing jumped out as overly important. The drawers yielded the same results. Finally, he sat down at her personal computer terminal, clicking the power button and waiting as it hummed to life. A few moments later he was breaking down the terminal's code network, hacking into its password database. The arithmetic slowly worked, presenting a multitude of options, his fingers gliding across the keyboard. Lucy walked up behind him, leaning in over his shoulder as he worked.

"Where did you learn all this?" she asked.

"Remember how I told you my dad was obsessed with pre-war strategies and tactics?" he asked. Lucy nodded, her breath hot in his ear and bringing a strange beat to his heart. "Well, he also had a fascination with pre-war technology, and that included hacking methods."

"Well you're just a jack of all trades," she said smiling. She leaned in and, after a moment of hesitation, kissed him on the cheek. He didn't flinch away this time, but a painful look crossed his face. She couldn't tell what it spawned from, but he was definitely hurting.

A couple minutes later Jaeko finally managed to crack Sarah's password. He sighed heavily and slowly began digging through the terminal's contents. He found a couple personnel dossiers. The one on Knight Artemis was of particular interest. It spoke of his disloyalty to the Brotherhood and his interest in joining the Outcasts. Jaeko stored the information for later. Several factions across the wasteland were noted, the Screaming Coyotes among them, but it wasn't anything he didn't already know. There wasn't really anything of note until Jaeko went to turn the computer back off. A message popped up in the bottom corner of the screen.

_"RECORDING COMPLETE?" _

Jaeko's eyes fell back toward the keyboard. Inserted on the right side was a micro holo-disc. He couldn't believe he'd missed it. Glancing over his shoulder, Jaeko saw Knight Artemis was hardly interested in his actions, and popped the disc out. He tucked it into his jacket. Standing back up, he simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Didn't find anything?" Artemis asked.

"Nothing important," Jaeko responded. The holo-disc felt like a brick in his pocket. "I guess Elder Lyons was right. I'll keep looking, though. There's bound to be a trail somewhere."

Artemis nodded, starting at him for a long moment. Finally, he waved them out, locking the door back up. As he did so, he said, "Don't get me wrong, Elder Lyons is a great leader, but he just can't admit to himself that maybe she doesn't want to come back. Maybe she's just as tired of all this crap as I am."

"Crap?" Jaeko asked.

"You wouldn't understand. You're just a wastelander. The Brotherhood used to mean so much more. We used to have purpose, not just a shitty charity. Take my advice, whatever questyou _think_ you're on, give it up. It's a lost cause," Artemis said. "Anyways, is there anywhere else you need to go before I can finally be rid of you?"

Jaeko nodded. "The armory. Then I'd like to see my behemoth."

Artemis sighed.

* * *

They restocked and resupplied at the discretion of a haughty Knight-Captain named Durga. She was less than happy to part with the various ammunition and ordnance Jaeko purchased. The prices were steep and were they not so low on supplies Jaeko would have taken his business elsewhere. Still, the selection was superb, and more than once he had to resist purchasing a new pistol. His .45 had served him well in the past, though, and there was no reason to replace it now. He settled for a few extended magazines and some spare parts. Once they were finally done shopping Artemis, who was becoming more and more hostile as the day progressed, led them toward the underground laboratory where the behemoth was being housed.

Jaeko smelled it before he saw it. Super mutants had an unmistakable rotting odor and it seemed the behemoth's extended captivity had only made it worse. Lucy nearly gagged as they descended the narrow metal steps toward where it was restrained. It breathed heavily and three separate pumps were hooked up to its arm. They constantly cycled in a fresh supply of sedatives as experiment after experiment was conducted upon its flesh. Racks and racks of filled vials lined the wall and Scribes hustled from station to station. Scribe Rothchild was at the heart of the activity, jotting down notes upon his data pad and yelling orders to his various subordinates. When he noticed Jaeko approaching a harsh look of distaste crossed his otherwise gaunt visage.

"What are you doing down here? It's bad enough you tricked your way into the Citadel. Owyn told me what happened. That's low. Even for a mercenary," he said practically spitting out the last word. Jaeko felt a pang of guilt, but he covered it up quickly.

"How goes the experiments?" he asked. "Any luck on coming up with a cure?"

Lucy continued to stand flabbergasted at the foot of the stairs, Knight Artemis beside her. She couldn't believe something so gargantuan had been taken down by a mere mortal. How had Jaeko done it? How was he still alive after squaring off with something so . . . monstrous?

Jaeko strode around the behemoth's flank. As if aware of his presence, it let out a low growl, despite the fact its eyes remained closed.

"Progress is slow," Rothchild answered bitterly. He continued typing on his data pad. "But we are discovering things we never knew about the super mutant populace. Things you couldn't possibly appreciate or understand."

"Such as?" Jaeko asked. He examined the bars that held the behemoth in place. They were constructed of a hardened steel. If the behemoth suddenly awoke he doubted they would be able to hold it in place. Still, it wasn't his problem anymore. The Brotherhood wanted the damn thing. Now they got to deal with it.

"Well, everyone knows super mutants can't breed. That's pretty common knowledge. We always assumed, though, it was because they were all one gender. Through an in depth look into the behemoth's chromosome count, however, we've discovered its instead a combination."

"You're telling me this thing is both male . . . and female?" Jaeko asked. Rothchild nodded slowly. "How is that even possible?"

"The FEV virus was originally developed as a super soldier program. It's possible that by giving them the genetic makeup of both genders the creators thought it might get rid of all testosterone and hormonal issues. Imagine a soldier without pride, without rivalry and arrogance."

"I don't have to imagine. I'm staring at one right now," Jaeko said pointing at the behemoth. "If you're telling me this is what the original scientists who developed the virus wanted maybe it's best the world got blown up before they finished."

"I couldn't agree more. I'd hate to see what the world would've ended up like with soldiers on the front lines who didn't feel compassion. But with the virus left unfinished, so is the super mutants' genetic makeup. There are literally gaps in their DNA. That's where so many issues are spawning from."

"Well as long as you don't want me to catch another one so you can try and breed them." Jaeko left the statement open-ended.

"I think we both know this first one was nothing short of miraculous dumb luck, Sergeant Jaeko. Hardly skill," Rothchild said. He smiled, bringing a burn to Jaeko's midsection. "We'll make do with what we have and not expect anything else out of the Screaming Coyotes. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I have wasted more than enough time summarizing our efforts for you. Good day."

He nodded to Knight Artemis and the pair was escorted back out of the laboratory. Before they exited, however, Jaeko called down. "I'd recommend getting some stronger bars, Rothchild. I've seen what these things are capable of and I'd hate to see your precious Citadel torn down from the inside out."

Scribe Rothchild didn't respond and a moment later Jaeko was thrust out the door. On his data pad, however, he made a simple note before getting back to work. It read: "_stronger bars"_.

* * *

Jaeko and Lucy didn't listen to the holo-disc until they were several blocks away from the Citadel's front gates. They hooked it up to Jaeko's radio and, keeping the volume low, hit the play button. Sarah's voice spilled out of it.

_"Log – Sentinel Sarah Lyons – April 9, 2279."_

Jaeko and Lucy exchanged glances. It was from two months ago, the day Sarah disappeared. The recording continued.

_"The latest report from Rivet City security shows an 89 % survival rate for the containers. Looks like the raiders have finally backed off from the attacking the shipments. Four new recruits have been accepted. Their training is going well. Gunny runs them pretty ragged, but they show promise. I used to not believe in allowing wastelanders into our order, but a certain vault dweller changed my perspective on that._

_"It's hard to believe all that has happened since that day at Galaxy News Radio. More and more Aqua Pura shipments go out every day, the Brotherhood has never had more volunteers, and the raider population is slowly dwindling down beneath our boots. _

_"I still remember the march east from California. Its little more than a vague haze, but I know on the way here I kept asking my father what our purpose was for coming all this way. I doubt even he knew back then how much everything would change. Our entire purpose has shifted. And it's all thanks to one man. So many know him as a simple title, but in the past several months I've gotten to know him as a real person, and he's unlike any I've ever met before. He's so passionate about what he does, but I still see a sadness in his eyes. Especially when he talks about his father. I know he still misses him. _

_"I think he still wants something between us. I just don't know what to do. That night after we destroyed the land crawler was amazing and afterward, when I told him we couldn't be anything more, I meant it. Too much has happened. But still, every night, he's all I think about. I just –"_

In the recording, a knock suddenly came at the door and Sarah halted. The recorder was still on and they heard her stand, walking over to the door. It hissed open.

_"What are you doing here?" _they heard her ask.

_"Something's happened," _a male voice responded. The Lone Wanderer. _"He's back."_

_"No. Wernher said he'd warn us –"_

_"Wernher's dead. Burke got him."_

_"My God. Then it's time."_

_"Yeah. You still got the coordinates?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"Meet me there. Don't take any of the main roads."_

_"Are you sure we can't talk to my father about this? He could help," _Sarah said. There was a long pause before the Lone Wanderer finally responded.

_"No. We still don't know who else is involved. I'll meet you there. Be careful."_

They heard the door close and Sarah walk over to the computer. The recording went dead a moment later, white noise enveloping the building they were hiding in. Jaeko and Lucy glanced to one another, confusion etched across their faces. Just what had they fallen in the middle of?

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_If you would like to see a pretty accurate drawing of Jaeko, visit sanides . deviantart #/d57wunf. It's by Sanima and she has her own story "The Company We Keep". It's a superbly-written tale and deserves a gander. As always, thanks for any and all reviews and critiques. Have a stupendous wasteland day._


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Stockholm watched as the two silhouettes appeared over the horizon, heading for the main gate. A quick glance through his binoculars made him breathe a sigh of relief. It was Lucy and that man she had left with, Sergeant Jaeko. Though he had caused a bit of trouble during his last visit, he was still a more welcome sight than any raider band or slaver column. Pulling the lever beside him the turbine engine quickly whirred to life. The blades began to spin and slowly, in a whirl of dust, the gate rose. Lucy gave him a wave and Stockholm nodded in return. The pair looked to have had a difficult journey. Their lips were pulled tight across their faces, and their brows furrowed in exhaustion. Dust coated their clothing and Lucy had lost at least a dozen pounds. As they passed through the outer gate Stockholm set his eyes back on the horizon. At least they _had_ returned. That was something.

His eyes weary and strained, Jaeko gave the inner gate a shove. It opened with a squeal and the pair stepped back into Megaton. So many questions had arisen after their visit to the Citadel Jaeko's head literally felt like it was going to explode. Yet none of it seemed to add up into any real picture of what was actually going on. There were just more breadcrumbs to follow.

Staring down into the crater, Jaeko felt more than a little frustrated. He had intended to find the Lone Wanderer by now. Or at least be on the right track. Now, after almost two weeks, they had yet to find any real trail. They were stuck back here with very little to go on.

As if reading his mind, Lucy stepped up beside him, her hand falling upon his shoulder. She said, "We'll talk to Lucas. Then, if he can't tell us anything, we'll go to the SatCom array. Don't worry. It's not over yet."

Jaeko's jaw was clenched tight and he barely got out the response: "I hope so."

Taking a few steps down into the crater, he turned and yelled up to Stockholm. "Sheriff Simms around?"

The sniper scratched his head for a moment, adjusting the red bandana wrapped around his skull. "No, he went out on a patrol. I think north."

Jaeko's brow furrowed in thought. A patrol? Simms never did that. He stayed in the town, keeping order. Why would he go out and start patrolling now? He called back up again and this time it was with some agitation Stockholm responded.

"He have anyone with him?"

"No," came Stockholm's simple response. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a gate to watch."

He turned back around and Jaeko rolled his eyes. Still, that was definitely bizarre. The wasteland was hardly a place to travel alone, especially on a patrol. And with Springvale Elementary – a raider haven – so close by, not to mention the nearby bridge gang, it was damn near unfeasible. Unslinging the pack from across his shoulders Jaeko handed it to Lucy. She took it hesitantly.

"What's up?" she asked.

"I'm going to have a look around, see if I can find Lucas," he said. Lucy's brow shot up on her forehead.

"Maybe we should just wait 'til he gets back," she said.

"No, I don't want to sit on my hands any longer than I have to. I'll just do a quick radius and be back before dark."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Maybe I should come with you," she offered.

"No, I think it's best if you stay here," Jaeko responded. "You look about ready to topple over and I can travel faster on my own. Get cleaned up and I'll be back before you know it."

Lucy eyed him cautiously. She knew there was more to it than that. Jaeko, however, just stared right back. He didn't want her to be there if his questioning got out of hand. He was sick of breadcrumbs, though. He needed to know what was going on now.

Finally, Lucy nodded, hefting the pack. Jaeko breathed a word of gratitude and headed back out. He slung the shotgun across his back and carried the assault rifle readily. A quick glance at the sun told him which way to go and he headed out at a brisk pace. He marched hard for fifty minutes, then rested for ten, making a circle around Megaton . He widened out the radius each time until the cratered settlement was no longer in sight. It was the fourth time around when he finally picked up Simms' trail. He'd dispatched a Radscorpion, the shell casings matching his Chinese model assault rifle. The accuracy screamed Regulator training as well – three shots right between the pincers. It was with a little more caution he approached the nearby hillcrest.

Falling upon his stomach a few yards away Jaeko crawled until he could just barely see over the crown. Four men stood in the shadow of the ridge, speaking quietly. Jaeko recognized two of them. One was Simms. The other was one of the Regulators from that day in the tunnel. He had taken care of the "shadow". His face was no longer painted black, though the combat knife still rested at his hip. The other two men were unknown. They weren't wearing the distinct Regulator dusters like their two counterparts and their heads were covered by brown burlap hoods.

Jaeko wished he could hear what they were saying, but even listening hard he couldn't make out the words. It was only a few minutes later they all shook hands, Sheriff Simms heading back toward Megaton, the Regulator east – assumedly toward their HQ – and the two hooded men north.

_North. _

It struck a sudden chord – a common clue – and for a moment Jaeko considered following them. He had to stay on the trail while it was mildly hot, though, and that meant following Simms. Still not sure if he was making the right decision, he scooted away from the crest and hooked west, giving Simms' path a wide berth. It wasn't until he approached the front gates Jaeko realized his error. He'd made his plans too obvious. As soon as Simms returned Stockholm would inquire as to whether or not Jaeko had found him. His suspicions were proven correct a moment later as Simms stepped out from around the corner, his gun held easily in one hand.

"I must say," he said placing his ancient cowboy hat back atop his head. "I didn't expect you to be back so soon. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy Lucy is back safe and sound, but you being back makes me more than a little worried, Jaeko. Especially given the fact you've been following me. Want to tell me why?"

"I think you know, Lucas. I think you've known what's going on all along," Jaeko said. He didn't raise his gun, but he made sure its presence was known. Simms did the same.

"I know you're hunting the Lone Wanderer for that scumbag Burke. I know you've been lying to me from the start and that you pulled Lucy into it for whatever reason. She'll never betray him, you know. You'll have to kill her, too."

"I won't hurt Lucy."

"Even if it comes down to you or her?" Simms asked. Jaeko didn't respond, his eyes falling toward the ground. Simms nodded. "That's what I thought. Look, I like you, Jaeko, but we both know when it comes down to it you're not exactly the valiant type. You'll kill the Lone Wanderer if it means saving your own ass . . . and, whether or not you want to admit it, you'll let Lucy die as well."

"Fuck you, Lucas. You don't know a damn thing," Jaeko spat.

"I know more than you think," Simms said bitterly.

"Yeah? Your little meeting reveal a lot?"

"It revealed enough. Like the fact you haven't found the Lone Wanderer yet and are floundering about for a trail. That means there's still time for you to turn back. Sonora told me to give you the benefit of the doubt, that we should trust your judgment, but I've seen the real Sergeant Jaeko. I saw it that day in Jericho's house."

"I'm not that person anymore. I'm off the Buffout."

"You may have buried that person away, but given the right circumstances he'll come back out eventually."

"You're definitely pushing me in the right direction, Lucas. Look, I'm not planning on killing the Lone Wanderer unless I absolutely have to. I'd rather just walk away from all this, but if I do Lucy's as good as dead. My friends back at the Coyotes – dead. You know that. So until I figure out some way out of this, I'm stuck, and I'm getting really sick and tired of all these damn shadow games. So just tell me what I need to know and I'll leave Lucy here. You can make sure she's safe. But please, tell me. Where is he?"

Simms shook his head solemnly. "Even if I did know I wouldn't tell you. I'm not going to help you kill the best thing that's happened to the wasteland in years."

"But you do know what's going on. At least tell me that," Jaeko urged. "Tell me just what the hell is going on. What's the Wanderer's plan?"

"No."

"Lucas!"

"I said no. Sonora told me to leave you alone, to leave you on your current path so you can make the right decision, but I'm telling you now: if you keep hunting the Lone Wanderer, if you hurt him or Lucy in any way, I'll kill you. There won't be a place you can hide where I won't find you. You think you're scared now? Of Mister Burke? Wait until you have me on your tail. Do you hear me? I will end you."

Jaeko stood there for several long moments, his hand tight against the rifle's handle. Simms stood equally as still. Finally, Jaeko spoke. "You kill me, you stop me from hunting the Lone Wanderer, and Lucy's blood, my men's blood, is on your hands. Up to you."

Simms regarded him with a cold stare and Jaeko slowly spread his arms wide, his gun held loosely in one hand. "Go on then. Stop me, Lucas. Have your justice."

When Simms didn't move, his mouth hanging slightly agape, Jaeko pulled his boot knife, tossing it at the sheriff's feet.

"For my finger," he explained spreading his arms back out. "Let the wasteland know there's still some justice out there. Go on. Shoot me. Stop me from killing the messiah. Because I'm telling you right now, Lucas, I won't stop searching for him until either he or Burke is dead. End of story."

Still, Simms didn't move. He cradled his assault rifle, his eyes disbelieving, but he couldn't bring himself to raise the gun.

Jaeko stood like that for several breathless moments, the sun beating down on his back, his arms spread like some sort of crucifixion. Then, when Simms still hadn't fired or even raised his gun, Jaeko dropped them to his sides. He picked his knife up off the ground and stepped past.

"No harm will come to Lucy. I promise you that. But from now, stay out of my way," Jaeko said.

A moment later he was through the gate. Simms stared out over the horizon in his wake, still shell-shocked over what had occurred. Sonora's faith in Jaeko was definitely ill-placed and, for once in his life, Sheriff Lucas Simms was scared for the Lone Wanderer's life. What could he do, though? His bluff had been called.

* * *

Jaeko stomped down the hill toward the base of the crater. On his left the Lone Wanderer's house loomed, taunting him. He wanted to burn it down. He wanted to burn the whole town down if it meant the Lone Wanderer finally coming out of his hiding place. The time for hide-and-seek was over. The time for breadcrumbs and shadow games – over. Jaeko's hands practically shook and, for the first time since leaving the Super-Duper Mart, he wished for a Buffout. Something, anything, to calm his boiling rage.

His skin practically crawled as he reached the base of the crater. Confessor Cromwell had gone inside and without his presence the area around the nuke seemed deathly quiet. Then it occurred to him. There wasn't _anyone_ around. The Brass Lantern had been closed down for the night; Doc Church's door was barred and shut; it was like a ghost town. That's when the figure stepped out from behind the nuke, Jaeko's jaw suddenly tensing.

"You have got some brass walking back into _my_ town, Sergeant Jaeko," Moriarty said.

"Haven't you heard? It's the Lone Wanderer's town," Jaeko spat back bitterly. His grip tightened on the assault rifle.

"The town was here long before he arrived with his 'higher purpose'. It was mine then and, I assure you, it's mine now!" Moriarty said angrily. "And no one comes into _my _town after doing what you did and expects to walk back out alive."

"Trust me, Moriarty, this is not a fight you want to start."

"You're right. This isn't a fight I want to start. I can't connect my thriving enterprise with something so menial. But I know someone who does," Moriarty said a smile crawling across his face. Just then Jaeko was slammed into from behind. The force of whatever hit him was like a battering ram and it knocked his assault rifle from his grasp. He fell into the nuke, the water splashing up around his knees. Moriarty came around the side. "Now, obviously I can't just kill you outright – don't want to attract the attention of good Sheriff Simms – so we're going to keep this nice and quiet. Jericho, find me when it's done. You'll get your caps then."

The former raider stepped into the light, a baseball bat clutched tightly in his hands. He grinned wickedly. "You sure made a mistake coming back in town, motherfucker. And making up that lie about me trying to rape Lucy. Bad fuckin' idea."

Jaeko used the nuke for support, standing back up slowly. His back was on fire.

Moriarty walked up the nearby platform back toward his bar and Jericho took a step forward. "I'd rather just hack you up with a machete. That'd be _real_ nice. Just like the old days. But Moriarty doesn't want your fingers floating around for someone to find. So we gotta do it the ol' fashioned way."

He jolted forward, swinging the bat as hard as he could. He struck from the shoulder, however, slowing him down substantially. Jaeko ducked and the bat hammered against the nuke. It shattered on impact, splinters of wood flying in every direction, and Jericho swore. Jaeko turned and punched him hard in the kidneys. His fist nearly broke against Jericho's leather armor, however. Crying out in pain Jaeko lunged to the side as the former raider swept around with the shattered end of the bat. It swiped across the air and Jaeko lunged forward. Jericho was ready, though, and grabbed him at the shoulders, throwing him into the water. He landed hard and Jericho came swinging. A boot to his kneecap brought a shriek to Jericho's lips and he dropped the bat handle. Jaeko lunged upward and sent a fist hard across Jericho's cheek. A second one went across his jaw and a third went beneath his chin. Jericho's head snapped backward and he stumbled away, blood leaking from his nostrils. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, chuckling quietly.

"That the best you got? I've fucked bitches with more fight than you." He pulled a serrated combat knife from his calf. "Fuck the old fashioned way. Let's have some fun."

Jaeko pulled his own knife, the pistol on his thigh all too tempting, and weighing him down like a brick. He couldn't just light Jericho up in the middle of town, though. The former raider knew that. That's why they had waited until he was in the center of town before coming after him. They had probably heard the rumors, knew the tightrope Jaeko was walking on with Sheriff Simms, and decided to seize the opportunity.

Jaeko didn't respond. He only flung himself at Jericho and slashed at his stomach. He cut left, then right, missing by inches each time. He was forced to fall backwards, however, as Jericho slashed back at him, sending him tumbling into the nuke. The water was an all-too-present factor, slowing him down and setting him off balance. Not to mention the copious of amounts of radiation he was probably absorbing.

"Nice to see this won't be a slaughter," Jericho said holding his knife lazily. He was enjoying this far too much. Jaeko took a few steps back, the water falling away from his knees.

Jericho came at him again and slashed downward. Jaeko dodged it, but a left hook caught him across the jaw. He fell to the ground hard. Jericho went after him in an instant, running over with the knife raised for a kill move. Jaeko brought his knees in toward his chest and pushed out just as Jericho was about to drive the blade down. He sent the former raider sprawling backwards and this time it was Jericho who fell to the dirt hard.

Jaeko wiped away the blood leaking from the corner of his mouth and stood back up. Jericho had fallen back into the puddle surrounding the nuke, the water rippling around him. He spit out a mouthful of the yellow, muck-infested water and stood as well.

"I'm gonna rip out your fuckin' spine," he gasped.

"Bring it on," Jaeko taunted.

Jericho let out a harsh yell and came sprinting at him. Jaeko reeled back and threw his knife as hard as he could. It was off-balance, however, and the blade pierced Jericho's shoulder rather than his heart. Jaeko didn't let it faze him, though. He ran forward and crashed into the stunned raider. They both toppled to the ground, the water splashing all around. Jericho's knife was flung from his grasp and Jaeko hammered him across the face. Three blows to the nose sent him into a dazed stupor and a fourth crushed his nose entirely. Jaeko didn't stop then, however. They had tried to kill him. Now, they were going to die. All of them. Everyone who stood in his way. Everyone who'd done him wrong. He would kill every last one of them. Grabbing Jericho by the collar he forced his head underwater. Jericho struggled, but Jaeko was seated firmly across his chest, and held the superior position. He kept his head underwater, Jericho's feet kicking and thrashing beneath him. He felt no remorse. The former raider had it coming. They all did. Moriarty, Mister Burke, Lucas, the Lone Wanderer –

"Jaeko, stop! You're gonna kill him!"

Jaeko looked up and saw Lucy standing on the nearby platform, her face contorted in distress. Immediately, he released Jericho, the former raider resurfacing, coughing and gagging. He threw up a mouthful of water and rolled away, struggling toward the edge of the platform. Jaeko stood, his hands shaking. A pool of blood was gathered around his feet – Jericho's blood. His. He wasn't really sure. He considered grabbing his gun, shooting Jericho before he had the chance at retribution, but a look at Lucy's face, and the tears in her eyes, kept it holstered. He turned to the still-sputtering raider.

"You ever come after me again, I'll kill you. That's a promise," Jaeko warned. Jericho let out a gargled response, somewhere between a "fuck you" and "copy that". Jaeko sent a toe into his back, bringing a cry to the former raider's lips, before he bent down and withdrew his knife from his shoulder. Jericho growled in pain, his lips peeled back in a snarl as Jaeko wiped the blood across his chest. "As for Moriarty, he's got his coming. Tell him that when he comes looking for me. Got it?"

Jericho groaned, nodding slowly. Jaeko strode out of the puddle, his clothes reeking of blood and radiation. He sheathed his knife and ascended the ramp toward Lucy's position. She didn't move until he strode past, whispering a quiet: "Thank you."

A moment later he disappeared into her house, a trail of water and blood following him.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"You want to talk about it?" Lucy asked. She walked out of her bedroom, stripped out of her leather armor, and instead wearing a simple cloth outfit. Jaeko was seated on a small wicker chair in the living room, a bag of RadAway attached to his arm, and his eyes looking particularly set into his skull.

"Not really," he said, fighting back a wave of nausea as the antibiotic slowly worked its way into his veins.

"Okay. One of these days you are going to have to start talking to me, though." She sighed loudly, taking a seat across from him on the moth-eaten sofa, and setting a blanket down beside her. Jaeko didn't respond. He simply regarded her with a bleary-eyed stare. "I see the RadAway is already taking effect. It's going to make you pretty loopy for a while, not to mention sick to your stomach. That's how it washes out all the radiation, though. Cleans your blood and pores."

"This isn't the first time I've gotten radiation poisoning, you know?" Jaeko said. However, he gagged, forcing a lump of bile back down his esophagus. Lucy noticed and grabbed a bucket, setting it down beside him. He immediately grabbed it, holding it between his knees as he suddenly vomited. Bile spilled past his teeth and he let out a long shudder. Lucy watched him as wave after wave passed through his lips, racking his body.

"How do you know how it works? Catch . . . radiation poisoning on the way over from . . . Arefu?" He managed a minute smile before giving another gut-wrenching heave. Lucy leaned over, stroking the top of his head as he continued to vomit. For once he didn't seem to mind the touch.

"I used to help Doc Church for extra caps, doing small jobs around the clinic and helping keep the place clean. There for a while this was all he would get – radiation poisoning and the occasional Radscorpion sting. Then the Lone Wanderer showed up and it was suddenly laser burns, knife wounds, not to mention the occasional hole in his side." She chuckled for a moment before her voice took on a much more serious tone. "I still remember how it smelled – the blood. They brought him in just soaked in it, and screaming at the top of his lungs. It took three doses of Med-X just to sedate him. He's lucky his guts didn't fall out right there. There for a while neither of us thought he was going to make it. Church worked for hours, pretty much all night. He must've wanted to call it quits at least a dozen times, but somehow he managed to pull through. Shocked us all too when not a month later he was back on his feet, setting out on his journey. I don't know what it was about him. He was just . . . different, unlike anyone I'd ever met before."

"Do you love him?" Jaeko suddenly asked. He fought back another gag, staring at her over the rim of the bucket. Lucy contemplated her answer for several moments and he fought to keep from vomiting the entire time.

"In a way yes, but not how you're thinking. He was . . . someone you could look up to, someone you could count on. More like a big brother than any schoolgirl crush." Jaeko continued to stare at her and Lucy leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees. "It's hard to explain. He's just . . ."

"Different," Jaeko filled in. Lucy nodded. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his stomach finally settling. Lucy stood, her fingers digging into her pockets, and her back arching as she stretched toward the ceiling. Her eyes rolled back over in his direction.

"You know, I might be able to give you a more definite answer if you finally told me what happened to you at the SD Mart, or why you're so back and forth about trusting me," she said.

"I do trust you. It's just . . ."

"Hard. Yeah, a lot of that going around," Lucy said. She turned toward the staircase, obviously flustered, before pausing at the bottom step. "Get some rest, Jaeko. You'll need it if you want to be able to kill the Lone Wanderer."

Jaeko took a stab at that, however, he was so worn out from all the vomiting he couldn't muster up a response. Lucy disappeared up the stairs a moment later.

Dragging the bag of RadAway along behind him he fell down onto the couch, his head resting on the arm as he pulled the nearby blanket up over his body. As Lucy's door closed upstairs, Jaeko shut his eyes. He fell out of consciousness a moment later.

* * *

_"Dad, do I have to learn this?"_

_"Yes. If you want to survive out there you have to know this kind of stuff. Now, try it again. You almost had it that time," his father reassured him. _

_"I doubt I'll be killing any raiders with a computer."_

_"Hey, a push of a button is what caused all this," his father said motioning around their small cottage and out the nearby window. From the rocking chair seated in the corner his mother hummed a lullaby, soothing the small infant cradled in her arms. _

_His sister . . ._

Jaeko's eyes slowly fluttered opened. It was still dark outside, the room engulfed in a dull grey gloom, and sending a shiver up his spine. The memory of his family was still fresh across his mind. Collecting the blanket around his chest, Jaeko sought to cocoon himself within it, and somehow escape the harsh wasteland of his childhood. A moment later, however, his eyes fell back closed and he was thrust right back into it.

_Pork. That's what it smelled like when he returned from his afternoon chores. Pork and . . . something else, something he'd never smelled before. _

_It took him only a moment to realize something was terribly wrong, his bare feet slapping across the warm, sticky ooze, and sending a harsh shudder through his entire body. _

_He found his mother lying dead on the other side of the dining room table, her throat slit, and her eyes staring blankly toward the ceiling. He didn't cry then as most children would have. He fought back the tears, pushing them down into the pit of his stomach. _

_Her pants were torn from her waist, a separate pool of blood collected between her thighs. He knew then they'd violated her. Even as a child he could tell. Still, however, he didn't cry. He needed to be strong. That's what his father had always told him – be strong and never let the wasteland see you beaten. _

_Walking over to the nearby crib, however, he found his baby sister lying in a puddle of her own feces, her head crushed in. He cried then. He sobbed and wailed for what seemed like hours. In reality, however, it was only a few minutes - the few minutes it took for his father to track down the band of raiders, kill them, and make it back to his only remaining child. He grabbed his son and dragged him away from that life, and from that point on it was just the two of them. From that point on he didn't question any of his father's lessons. He just learned._

Jaeko awoke to a harsh banging on the front door. Lucy padded down the staircase, a pistol tucked into her waistline. She yanked the door open, Sheriff Simms standing in the morning light. He carried a set of chained shackles.

"Sheriff," Lucy said hesitantly.

"Where is he?" Simms asked simply.

"Sleeping." Lucy barred the door, blocking his line of sight into her home. Jaeko struggled to sit up – he had to get out of there – but his body wouldn't allow it. He was too weak.

"I need to take him. He attacked Jericho again last night."

"We both know Jericho started it."

"Do we?"

"Yes. He's not a threat, Sheriff. You don't know him, okay? Just leave him alone. Jericho's started more than enough fights and he's not in jail."

"This is different. He's –"

"Trying to kill the Lone Wanderer. I know. Come on, though, Lucas. He's a good man. You once said it yourself. Do you really think when it comes down to it he'll be able to kill the Lone Wanderer?"

"Yes."

"Well, I think you're wrong, and I think he deserves the chance to prove it. Sonora Cruz certainly seems to think so." Simms' jaw nearly fell open. Jaeko continued to listen. "Yeah, I'm not as dumb as I look, Sheriff. I can put the pieces together just as well as he can. Now, you may not want to tell us what exactly is going on, but you _need_ to let us do this. If nothing else, do it because you trust me. I know I've earned that much."

Simms stared at her for a long moment, and for a second time Jaeko considered running. His arms barely worked, however, and he was forced to wait for a response. Simms' answer came back in a cold, somber tone.

"As soon as he's good to travel I want him out of my town. He's never to come back. You understand?" Lucy managed a small nod and Simms sighed heavily. "Be careful, Lucy. The heart can be very deceptive sometimes."

What did he mean by that? Jaeko wondered.

Lucy just nodded and, with that, she shut the door, making sure to lock it. Jaeko continued to lay there, breathing steadily and trying his best to appear asleep. Lucy stared at him for several long moments, her arms crossed, and each passing second increasing his heart rate tenfold. Finally, she turned and headed back up the stairs, Jaeko letting out a heavy sigh. He yanked the IV from his arm and struggled to erase the image of his mother and sister's murder from his mind. It was replaced, however, by one of Lucy crying as Sheriff Simms dragged him away locked in chains. Jaeko rubbed his eyes, exhaustion slowly creeping back up. He just needed this all to be over.

* * *

"She was going to rape me." Lucy's eyes snapped over in Jaeko's direction. He was standing in her doorway, the hardened edge gone from his eyes, and replaced instead by a sort of vulnerability. His lip practically quivered as he struggled to recount what had taken place at the Super-Duper Mart. He sighed heavily, forcing the words out one by one. "They tied me up outside so the boss' sister could rape me. That's why I've been so hesitant every time we start to get close. It's like every time I shut my eyes, every time you touch me, I think of her . . . lips . . . all over me. She would've done it, too, if Burke hadn't shown up and killed her."

"Burke saved you?" Lucy asked hardly believing her ears. She stood up from her pack, the contents scattered across her bed.

"How do you think I escaped in the first place? He told me to 'unleash' myself and that's exactly what I've been doing. I have given everything to this mission, including my soul. I know what Lucas said and he's right. You shouldn't trust me. I don't even trust myself."

"I don't believe that. You're a good man, Jaeko –"

"Am I?"

"Yes."

"How do you know? How could you possibly know that? We only met a few weeks ago. You really think that's enough time to figure a person out?"

"Absolutely."

"Why?" Jaeko asked his voice rising in volume.

"Because I look at you, I look into your eyes, and I see the same bright gleam of hope the Lone Wanderer has. The hope for a better world, the hope that one day we can stop fighting and this can all be over."

"I'm not him, though. I'm just a –"

"A what, Jaeko? A mercenary? God, I'm so sick of you using that excuse. I've got news for you. You're not just a mercenary. You took down a behemoth. You're practically a legend!" Lucy threw her arms out to her side, taking a few steps forward. "I talked to Reilly about you guys. She said the Coyotes are the best of Talon Company, the ones who couldn't give up their humanity for a few extra caps, and the wastelanders the Brotherhood wouldn't take because you've been out in the desert far too long. Well, I say that makes each and every one of you special because you know exactly what it means to be one of us and, because of that, you – Sergeant Jaeko – won't kill the Lone Wanderer. As much as you hate to admit, deep down you know we need him. That's why I trust you. That's why I know you're a good man. Because you . . . are . . . a wastelander."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Jaeko and Lucy were met with mixed reactions as they left Megaton. Some regarded him with a sort of underhanded praise, nodding their heads as he passed or giving him a pat on the back. Others, mostly settlers he didn't know, were happy to see him leave. In their eyes he had been nothing but trouble since arriving, first hogtying Moriarty and leaving him for dead, and then nearly drowning Jericho beside the nuke. They wanted nothing more than the troublemaker to be gone from their civilized walls and back out in the wasteland. Sheriff Simms stood at the crest of the crater, his arms crossed in front of his chest, and the stock of his assault rifle peeking over his shoulder. His son, Harden, stood beside him, curious as to why so many people had gathered to see the pair leave. He didn't understand what his father was trying to do. He didn't understand the pained expression in his father's eyes. He didn't understand the heavy weight it had placed on his shoulders, driving one of his oldest friends out of town for the good of the community. He didn't understand the equally pained expression on Mister Jaeko's face.

They were friends, weren't they?

As they neared the town's gates, Moira stepped out, pushing a small leather knapsack into Jaeko's hands. "There's some extra magazines for your rifle in there and some energy packs for Lucy's pistol. I also threw in some strips of my new jerky I've been testing. It's got some extra ingredients, so start off slow with it. I –"

"Moira," Jaeko interrupted. He tried to say something meaningful – it was obvious she didn't support Simms' decision – but nothing would come. "Thanks."

"I know you won't do what Lucas is saying you'll do. We all had a town meeting last night and I know you're better than that."

"I . . ."

"Just don't get dead, okay? And don't get the Lone Wanderer dead, either."

Despite the situation Jaeko couldn't help but smile. He shouldered the pack and continued up the hill. Simms continued standing there, arms crossed, and Jaeko stopped in front of him. Lucy stopped beside him, her presence a comfort and a curse. He knew what this was doing to her, what this would mean with her and the rest of the town. She would most likely end up banished as well if she walked out those gates with him. Still, there she stood, however, believing in him, believing he would do the right thing.

Jaeko contemplated her earlier words. _"Because you . . . are . . . a wastelander."_

What did that even mean? Was he supposed to give up his life for the good of the wasteland because he'd been raised in it? Was he supposed to sacrifice himself for some man who wasn't?

Jaeko glanced over at her, then to Sheriff Simms. Again, he tried to think of something to say, but nothing would come. Finally, he just extended his hand. Simms looked at it for a long moment before reaching out and shaking it.

"I hope I'm wrong about you, Jaeko," he said simply.

"I hope neither of us will ever get the chance to find out," Jaeko responded. Simms smiled faintly before stepping aside and allowing him to pass. Jaeko adjusted the straps on his rucksack, turning and giving Megaton one last lingering gaze, before walking out of the gates forever. Lucy walked right beside him, her eyes set firmly on the distant horizon.

"Everything's going to be different now," she said.

"Everything's been different since the day Burke found me in the Muddy Rudder."

Lucy stared at him for a long moment. Finally, she simply nodded, and looked northwest toward the distant SatCom Array. It was a long walk ahead of them, the satellites not even visible over the multiple hilltops and cliff sides.

Jaeko nodded as well and as the rusted gates of Megaton closed behind them – probably for the last time – they set out.

Lucy stayed quiet for the first several miles. They stuck mainly to back roads and cut across the desert when needed. They avoided large hilltops, wanting to stay as hidden as possible. The Enclave still had a presence in the Northwestern section of the Capital Wasteland and, regardless of how small it was, Jaeko wanted to avoid them at all costs. Also, it took them a little too close to Paradise Falls for comfort. He could only imagine the price Lucy would fetch, especially with her esteemed title as "the untouchable woman". At that thought he paid her a quick sidelong glance. He'd warned her about what their route would mean, the dangers it presented besides death, but still she wanted to come. He'd even considered leaving in the middle of the night to save her from the risk, sneaking off without her, but something inside wouldn't let him. He couldn't hurt her like that, not after how she'd stood up for him to Simms. She truly believed he would do the right thing, even if it meant his death. He only wished he shared her faith.

They stopped for a rest at an abandoned campground, a few trailers still gathered around a central fire pit. Jaeko checked the ashes while Lucy scouted one of the trailers. They were cold. No one had been around for at least a week. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Lucy came out of one of the trailers with a pair of long, grey socks. They were in good condition. "Look what I found."

The corner of Jaeko's mouth tweaked upward. "Good find."

Lucy smiled as well, though there was a distinct sadness he hadn't noticed before. It was obvious their thoughts had reached the same conclusion about her residence in Megaton. She likely wouldn't have a home to return to.

"I know right."

She sat down and began unlacing her boots. Quality socks were hard to come by out in the wastes. Most were homemade, the material scrounged from old wool or ancient cotton blankets. The pair she had found, however, looked to be made for traveling and reached almost to her knees. The heels weren't worn down and the toes weren't cut.

She pulled them on, stretching her back out before lacing the boots back up. As she raised her arms over her head, letting out a long groan, the bottom of her jacket stretched up over her belt, revealing her naval. The sight sent a strange sort of shockwave up Jaeko's spine and he turned around, surveying the wasteland instead. His eyes fell on a distant landmark and a thought popped into his head.

Behind him, Lucy quietly laced up her boots, oblivious to the effect she'd just had on her companion. Jaeko's confession about the Super-Duper Mart and what had taken place had forced her to look at him in a new way, and she now understood his hesitation at physical contact, or any admission of feelings for one another. She felt guilty at how she'd acted, trying to force him to act on his feeling, but she also felt relieved it wasn't her that made him hesitate. As she tied her boots Jaeko suddenly turned around, a strange expression across his face.

"Something wrong?" Lucy asked. Jaeko continued staring at her. Finally, his face broke into a smile.

"Nope, I was just thinking. Arefu isn't far from here and neither is the Meresti train yard."

Slowly, Lucy's lips curved upward in a smile as well.

"Really?" she asked. Jaeko nodded. "Wait. What about Burke, though? He's always watching. Won't he try to stop us?"

"Burke doesn't know what we've found and everyone knows the Lone Wanderer has had dealings with the Family in the past. He's why Arefu is now so well-guarded. Burke will just think we're pursuing a lead."

"Jaeko, I . . . I –"

"Grab some water and a few bites of food. We'll leave in ten."

Lucy nodded excitedly. She'd never had the chance to visit her brother before, never having the caps or the courage to venture back out into the wastes, but now she could finally see him. She could reunite with her brother.

As she took several long pulls from her canteen and took a bite from Moira's "special" jerky Jaeko walked around the side of the trailer. His heart felt like it was going to explode. Why did her smile suddenly have such an effect on him? He tried desperately to keep his hands from shaking – it was like he was back on Buffout.

When he finally got himself back under control Jaeko walked back around the trailer. He stopped, however, when a glint of light caught his eye. He glanced at the horizon, searching, but it was gone. He swallowed, his eyes still on the distant hilltops, and knew it was one of the Burke's watchmen. He had Jaeko in his sights right now and could take him out at any moment. Even if Jaeko managed to get a bead on his location there were probably three more waiting, their sights equally set on his forehead, or worse, Lucy's. Jaeko glanced over at her, saw the joy in her eyes, heard the tune she hummed quietly, and wished he had left her back in Megaton. He couldn't bear to see her get hurt, even if it meant hurting her feelings. Still, her presence was a comfort, and her faith in him filled him with courage. He would do the right thing, if just because of her faith.

He just had to try doing it without four sniper rifles pointed at his head.

* * *

**_Author's Note:_**

_I apologize for the obscenely long wait for this recent update and for the shortness, however, the next chapter is going to be a long one and I don't want to overdo the pacing. About the wait - I got strapped with a last-minute deployment and only just got back last week. I do have every intention of finishing this tale, though, so try to stay with me. As always, review if you so desire, and have a vivacious wasteland day._


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

It took them the majority of the day to reach the Meresti Train Yard and, despite Jaeko's argument of getting in before dusk, Lucy wanted to stop to speak to some of the residents of Arefu. Mostly she spoke to Evan King, a kind old man who, with the help of the Family, watched over the small bridge-town's borders.

"Your brother is doing real good, Lucy," King explained. "Occasionally comes up and pulls a shift with me. He seems better . . . all things considering."

Lucy's eyes fell to the ground at that.

"Yeah," she said quietly.

They were of course referencing to her parent's deaths. Raiders, if Jaeko remembered, had killed them. He waited at the foot of the bridge, milling next to a pair of pack Brahmin caged in a nearby wooden pen. As the sun sent its last few rays of light over the horizon, Lucy finally bade farewell to King and the few other residents she'd said hello to, and the pair set back off toward the train yard. Thanks to the Lone Wanderer's dealings with the Family, the main entrance was finally open, and they didn't have to cut a path through the tunnels, dealing with the hordes of feral ghouls still roaming the dark. As they approached the entrance to the underground railway network, a man stepped out of the doorway. He shielded his eyes from what little sunlight remained. His skin was pale and it was obvious he wasn't used to being out during the day. He waved at them as they neared.

"What can I do for you folks? This is the Family's territory," he said.

"We know. We're looking for sanctuary for the night. One of your members is this woman's brother," Jaeko said, indicating Lucy with an extension of his thumb. The man regarded her for a moment. Suddenly, his face broke into a surprised expression.

"Your Ian's sister!" he exclaimed. "Lucy, right?"

"That's right," Lucy said, smiling brightly.

"Your brother's a really good friend of mine. Well come on in. Of course you can stay for the night. I will have to ask for your weapons, though."

"Uh," Jaeko paused, glancing at Lucy. He shook his head. "I don't know about that."

"I promise no harm will fall on you," the man said.

"Sorry, but I don't know you from any raider, and I don't know the Family," Jaeko said. "I'm keeping my guns."

"Then I'll have to ask you to stay outside. Miss?" He looked at Lucy.

"Now, now, Justin, I'm sure we can make an exception," came a sultry voice from the shadows behind him. A young woman stepped out. "This is Ian's sister, after all. That makes her part of the family."

"But Vance said –"

"Vance will be okay with it. I promise," the woman said, caressing Justin's cheek. "And if he isn't, tell him I seduced you into letting them in."

"Alright, Brianna, if you say so." Justin turned back to Lucy and Jaeko. "Alright, you can keep your weapons, but keep them holstered."

Jaeko and Lucy both nodded and Justin stepped aside, allowing them access to the train tunnel. Brianna beckoned them to follow and she led them through the gloom-ridden tunnels to the Family's sanctuary.

"Thanks for talking him into letting us keep our weapons," Jaeko said.

"No problem," Brianna replied. "I figured if I scratch your back maybe you'll come to . . . scratch mine later. For a moderate amount of caps that is. Always interested in acquiring new clients."

"Oh, you're a . . ." Lucy trailed off.

"You can say it – a hooker. And yeah I am," she smiled slightly. "I provide a certain morale boost to the men, those that are unmarried at least."

"And have you . . . boosted my brother's morale?" Lucy asked hesitantly. Jaeko suddenly found something very fascinating on the wall to look at. Brianna glanced over at Lucy, her smile growing.

"Had to have his cherry popped someday. At least with me you know he didn't catch anything."

"Do I?" Lucy asked, feeling more than a little protective of her brother's innocence, though in this world she doubted there was much of it left to maintain.

"Touché," Brianna responded. She was hardly offended, though. A moment later they entered into the station where the Family called home. It was sparsely lit, though Jaeko figured by the majority of the Family's pale skin the gloom didn't really bother them. They regarded the newcomer's with genuine curiosity and a few even gave friendly waves. Jaeko merely nodded in return. Lucy looked all around for her brother.

"You'll have to meet Vance before seeing your brother," Brianna said. "That's one rule I can't let slip."

"Vance is your leader, I take it?" Jaeko asked.

"He'll say he's our teacher, not really our leader, but yeah he's the one in charge." She led them up a stagnant set of escalators to a promenade overlooking the old waiting area. A lone man stood near the railing. He wore a duster similar to the Regulator's and had a strange gas tank-sword combination strapped to his back. He turned as they strode up.

"Brianna, you have brought some newcomers in I see. I see they're also well-armed," he said, noting their multitude of weaponry. Jaeko could tell by the look in his eyes he would have no hesitation in killing them if the need arose and, judging by the dangerous weapon strapped to his back, wouldn't have any difficulty doing it, either.

"I figured they wouldn't cause much problem. Besides, the girl is Ian's sister –"

"Lucy West," he interrupted. "I was hoping I would be able to meet you one day. My apologies for my abrupt attitude. In that case, you are of course welcome to keep your weapons." He stepped forward and took Lucy's hand gently in his. He bowed regally and placed a soft kiss across the back of her hand. "I am Vance." He took Jaeko's hand next.

"Let's keep it at just a handshake," he said. Vance smiled.

"Of course. I assume you're seeking sanctuary for the night as well. I'll have two beds made up for you at once. As for Ian, I'll have someone retrieve him. He's in the southern tunnel clearing out some feral ghouls. Such loathsome creatures."

"Is he . . . can he . . ." Lucy tried to form a viable question, but nothing would form.

"He is quite capable, I assure you. Ian shows extreme prowess with a blade. He's even bested me once or twice, though it was with my off-hand. Still, he's a fine fighter and I'm proud to call him part of the Family."

"Yeah, I was wanting to ask about that?" Jaeko interjected. "The Family? I've heard rumors about you guys, but I'm not really sure what's true and what's . . ."

"Fantasy?

"Sure let's go with that."

"We are simply a group of people who have come together to form a bond stronger than any remote settlement or organization. Therefore we are a Family. We watch out for each other with absolute loyalty."

"I . . . see," Jaeko said.

"Don't worry, Mister . . ."

"Reid, Jaeko Reid."

"Ah, the Slayer of Behemoths."

"Good God, has everyone heard of me?"

"We may be underground, but that doesn't mean we are completely ill-informed. We do hear the word of the wasteland and you are quite famous. I think Miss West should consider herself lucky to have such a companion along to help her reunite with her brother. Now, as I was saying, you have nothing to fear from us. No matter what you may have heard in your travels, we are a honest and moral group. And thanks to the Lone Wanderer's help, any misfortunes we had with Arefu in the past are long behind us."

Lucy's brow furrowed. She was about to inquire into what he meant when Ian appeared at the top of the escalators.

"Lucy!" he exclaimed.

All heads, on the top and bottom floor, turned to watch as the siblings reunited for the first time in years. They ran to each other and embraced, tears flowing freely down both their cheeks. As the pair continued to hold each other, Vance moved to stand beside Jaeko, pleased with the reunion's outcome.

"So I shouldn't have to worry about you guys drinking my blood?" Jaeko asked quietly. Vance looked over at him. "I heard a few rumors. Lucy doesn't know and I think it'd be best if she didn't find out what her brother's been doing. Not unless he tells her first."

"You're right," Vance said with an accompanying sigh. "Not everyone is ready to accept our way of life. I'll speak to my people and ensure no word reaches her ears. We shall even put on a meal to celebrate this joyous occasion, though don't expect my people to take more than a few bites."

"Fair enough," Jaeko said.

* * *

The meal passed by well enough, though Lucy and Ian left pretty early to talk in private. That left Jaeko sitting with a dozen or so people he didn't trust, and the fact only a few had taken any real bites of their food set his teeth on edge. Still, Vance tried to form amiable conversation with him, inquiring about his relationship with Lucy and what he had seen in his travels. He seemed like a decent enough man, despite his strange "eating habits", and soon Jaeko found himself relaxing, if only slightly. After a bit, the different Family members went back to their various chores and duties, and Jaeko was left alone on one of the old waiting benches, staring into the gloom of the subway tunnel. He wondered if there were any snipers watching him through their scopes this time or if they were simply waiting outside for him to emerge.

It didn't take long before Brianna came over and sat down next to him. She leaned on the thin plastic arm separating them and breathed heavily against his cheek.

"So, feel like scratching my back yet?" she practically purred.

Jaeko looked over at her, his eyebrows high upon his head. "Umm, no thanks," he said cautiously.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you and Miss West are married. I didn't see you two touching at all during dinner or anything."

"No, we're not married, but I'm just . . ."

"Not interested? You're not gay, are you?"

"Hell no," Jaeko said more than a little defensively.

"Hey, take it easy, I was just asking. It's just, I don't get the chance for fresh customers very often. It's why I did you that favor and let you in with your guns. Now come on. What's stopping us from having a little fun while the twins are talking?"

"I'd hardly say they're twins," Jaeko said with a snort.

"So? Are you honestly telling me you'd rather sit here alone then hump my brains out for a few hours?" Brianna asked.

"He's not alone," came a voice from behind them. Jaeko glanced over his shoulder and saw Lucy standing there, her arms crossed. She walked over and sat on Jaeko's opposite side. "And no, we're not twins."

Brianna suddenly looked extremely hurt and stood up with a huff before walking away, muttering under her breath. Jaeko sighed, more than a little relieved. Lucy leaned against him. Finally feeling okay about it, Jaeko slowly reached over and put his arm around her.

"Thanks," he said.

"No," she responded, looking up at him from beneath his arm. "Thank you."

* * *

"Vance, I need to ask a favor," Jaeko said, walking over. He had his jacket slung over his shoulder. His hair was still damp from his recent bath, courtesy of the Family's recently repaired washroom.

"Well, better to ask than demand. What is it I can do for you?" Vance asked.

"Your men, I assume they're used to the dark. Can see pretty well in it?"

"Yes. We do call the darkness our home."

"Do you think you could send one or two of your men out on a patrol tonight? Look around the tunnels and around the train yard?"

"And what are they looking for, exactly?" Vance asked. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"There are some men following me. I need to know where they are and how long they'll likely be there. If they've set up camp or anything. And I need your men to be undetected."

"Stealth is often a warrior's greatest weapon and it's one I have prided myself on teaching my Family. Before I agree to this, however, I must know one thing."

"Okay?"

"Why are they following you?"

"To make sure I complete a job I have."

"Do they intend to hurt you if you don't complete it?"

"Yes . . . and Lucy."

Vance stared at him for several long moments, regarding him curiously. Finally, he said, "I'll send out my two best scouts. They'll find these men for you."

"Thank you, Vance."

"Don't let any harm come to Miss West, Mister Reid. Ian has faced enough pain in his life."

"Exactly why I need these men found. All of them."

"Trust me, Mister Reid, no one can hide from my men in the dark. No one."

Jaeko simply nodded. There was something about the almost feral look in Vance's eyes that sent a lone shiver up his spine. He turned on his heel and joined Lucy in their private room, off the main promenade. She was stripping out of her clothes and preparing for bed. Her hair was down across her shoulders and her skin looked polished. She had bathed as well and, along with being reunited with her brother, looked the happiest Jaeko had ever seen. She smiled brightly as he walked in and closed the door behind him.

"What did you have to talk to Vance about?" she asked.

"Just a little favor."

"Jaeko . . ."

"Nothing important. Just wanted his men to scout a path out for us tonight."

"Okay," she said. She sat down on her cot and slowly unlaced her pants. She'd already stripped off her boots and jacket. Jaeko slumped down on his own cot, facing her as he unstrapped his own boots. "I know I said it already, but I really do appreciate you bringing me here to see my brother. It means a lot, considering what we're already going through."

"It's no big deal. I already told you, Burke probably thinks we're just following another lead."

"It is a big deal. To me," Lucy said. She suddenly stood and walked over. Her pants were unlaced, the drawstrings dangling down to her thighs. Before Jaeko could reply, she planted a firm kiss on his lips. She bit his lower lip gingerly and caressed his tongue lightly with her own. After a few heated moments, she pulled away. "Now, I know you've been dealing with a lot and Lord knows I haven't made it any easier, so if that's as far as you want things to go I understand. But if you want more . . . well, the offer's on the table."

She suddenly dropped her pants to the ground, revealing she wasn't wearing any underwear. Jaeko looked her up and down, unsure how to respond. Then, as if possessed by some beast, he grabbed her around the waist and practically threw her onto the cot. He was atop her immediately, their lips meeting in another fierce kiss. This time, there wasn't any hesitation on either of their parts. He immediately found her breast, first caressing it through her tank-top's thin layer of cotton, then beneath it, feeling the ample arch of her breast and the peak of her erect nipple. She moaned sensually as he peppered her neck with quick kisses. Soon, she was yanking on the stitching of his fly, and Jaeko wrestled out of his pants, dropping them beside the cot. He yanked his shirt over his head and she did the same, her youthful breasts bobbing in the gloom.

He fell back upon her. They pulled on each other, practically melding into one another as she guided him inside. And then they were one. He moved slowly at first, but then as passion gave way to pleasure, his rhythm picked up pace. She rocked against him, matching him stroke for stroke, moaning in his ear as he thrusted again and again. Everything soon melted away as they made love in the gloom of Meresti Station. The frustrations of the past few weeks disappeared and all that was left was a rhythmic thrusting and a chorus of moans from a young woman's throat. Soon, however, the passion of the situation overwhelmed them both, and they were left trembling as Jaeko emptied himself inside her.

For several long moments afterward, neither moved. He just lay atop her, a fresh layer of sweat dampening both their bodies. Then, he slowly looked up at her, and he knew deep down he had to leave her. Slowly, she pulled him into another passionate kiss. He just wished it wasn't so tough.

* * *

"Five men, two groups. One is camped about three-hundred yards from the entrance to the station, northeast. The other group is at the southern interchange, camped at a nearby junction of hills. They've got eyes on both entrances, but if you leave through the secondary maintenance tunnel you'll fall in a blind spot. From there you can sneak off without them noticing."

Jaeko nodded as Robert finished his report. He thanked him and turned to Vance who stood nearby. The leader of the Family strode over, speaking quietly. "Do you really intend to leave without saying goodbye to her? Or at least some explanation?"

"No, it's better this way," Jaeko said. "She's safe here. Please look after her."

"Are you sure?" Vance asked.

"Look, if she stays with me . . ." Jaeko trailed off, the words harder to form than he thought. "If she stays with me, I won't be able to focus. I'll be too busy worrying about her and if I want to come out of this alive I have to focus."

"I'll pass along your apologies then."

"Thank you. I mean it," Jaeko said. He extended his hand and Vance shook it firmly. A moment later, Jaeko donned his pack and disappeared into the tunnel. As he headed back to his room, Vance examined the scrap of paper Jaeko had slipped him. He unfolded it and read the message scrawled across it. It was messy and had obviously been written with shaky hands. It said simply: "Don't let her follow me."


End file.
